


Something Borrowed

by artificialjazz, MissBianca



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff, Humor, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2018-12-26 04:15:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 65,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12051114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artificialjazz/pseuds/artificialjazz, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissBianca/pseuds/MissBianca
Summary: This was going to be Courtney’s first visit to her childhood home in five years, and she’d made a lot of plans. Obviously, none of them had included falling into a whirlwind, summer love affair with her father’s 28-year-old fiancée, three months before the planned wedding. But sometimes, things just happened.





	1. Chapter 1

Courtney sat on her palms in the backseat of the cab, impatiently counting the passing mailboxes in an attempt to calm her nerves. The streets seemed cleaner here than they’d been downtown, and the carefully manicured front yards were all starting to blend together in a slightly nauseating mixture of brightly colored azaleas and overwatered grass.

Her flight had left at 6 AM, but she wasn't the least bit tired – being a morning person really paid off. Regardless, Courtney was pretty sure she was too anxious to even consider sleep.

Coming back to Los Angeles after so much time away felt almost like a tangible step backwards. When she’d left, she’d still been practically a child, and leaving behind her father’s big, beautiful mansion and all of her friends had felt like the end of her universe.

Now, she knew that the world was a hell of a lot bigger than her pricey private school and the saltwater pool in her backyard.

Granted, she’d ended up going to a new private school in San Francisco, and then to a small, far-too-expensive liberal arts college, trading in rich high school friends for equally as rich college friends. But at least she’d graduated. With honors. And an utterly useless degree in fashion design.

Some of her friends had opted to go to grad school, and some had internships lined up. Courtney, for her part, had spent all of senior year looking for ways to avoid returning to her mom’s apartment, and after a failed job search, the answer had come in a phone call from her father – the first non-birthday call in five years – inviting her to “come home for the summer.”

And so, here she was, in the part of town where you could practically smell the wealth – in other words, right back where she’d started. She’d spent so long trying in vain to escape it all, and now found herself praying that somehow, she’d still fit in.

The driver turned the corner, and Courtney let out a breath, long and heavy.

It had been about five years since she’d last seen it, but the block she grew up on still looked almost exactly how she remembered it, which was oddly comforting.

The cab started to slow, and Courtney could see the Japanese maple tree on the next-door neighbor’s lawn, only a little bit bigger than it’d been when she was a child. She’d always wanted to hide underneath the branches, but she’d only made it into the neighbor’s lawn once without getting scolded by her mom. Her father would’ve disapproved of the trespassing.

“Right here, miss?”

“Yeah, this is it,” Courtney replied, smiling politely in the direction of the rearview mirror as the cab pulled up to the curb. She fumbled in her purse, pulling out her credit card to pay.

The dry heat hit her as soon as she stepped outside, and she was five years old again, admiring the huge house from the sidewalk: its white stucco exterior, spattered with tall windows that connected to ornate, wrought-iron balconies.

She was home.

It felt _important_ , this moment, the first step towards reclaiming this place as her own. Maybe her father had seen the yellow car from his office window. As the afternoon sun warmed her face, she let herself imagine that he might even be waiting for her in the foyer.

The trunk of the taxi slammed shut, and Courtney pulled her gaze away from the house to see her assortment of bags resting on the pavement beside her.

“Thank you,” she said, managing to flash a final smile at the taxi driver.

“No problem.”

Courtney crouched to gather her belongings into her outstretched arms, wobbling slightly as she tried to stand and regain her balance.

“Probably should’ve just shipped it all,” she murmured. She was anxious and impatient, a thin layer of sweat forming on her lower back. “What, did I think the driver would want to carry everything inside for me? I’m such an idiot.”

After a few more moments of struggle, Courtney took a deep breath and began to shuffle awkwardly up the concrete path that lead to the front doors.

The sprinklers were on, drops of water making the grass sparkle as if someone had spilled diamonds all over the lawn. Courtney smiled, remembering how she’d run through it barefoot hundreds of times as a little girl to catch the ice cream truck before it pulled away. She never used to walk on the path, except for the few times when her father had been home.

He’d leave the door ajar, watching her from just inside the entryway, and she would put on her shoes and walk down to the street as quickly as she could, keeping her shoulders back and her chin up as young ladies like her were supposed to.

She could still picture the fond smile on his face when she paraded back to the house with a popsicle, careful not to let any of it drip onto her hands or her dress and make the smile go away.

The house towered above her now, and her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she took the steps one by one. She tried the door handle, finding it unlocked, and closed her eyes for a moment, collecting herself.

The door swung open, and she stepped over the threshold into the huge, sunlit foyer.

As soon as she tugged the door closed behind her, the hours of build-up to this moment began to seem pointless. Her father probably wasn’t home, and even if he was, he certainly wouldn’t take the time to come down and greet her. He was, as he’d told her so many times, _“a very busy man.”_

She shook her head, feeling foolish and naive, and let her bags fall to the ground with an echoing _thud_.

After a moment, Courtney realized that there was music playing somewhere in the house. It was upbeat, and sounded like something she might hear in a club around 1 AM – not in the home of an aging, wealthy businessman in the middle of the day.

She glanced around, wondering where it was coming from, and began to notice changes that had been made to the inside of the house. The foyer was just as big and airy as it had always been, but the aesthetic was distinctly different, and definitely not at all like her father.

There were vases of blooming flowers on the side tables, a set of dark brown plush rugs in the middle of the floor, and various fluffy pillows balanced on the ottoman. As she took a step closer, Courtney noticed that one of the pillows, a pink one, had _fringe_. Her eyes widened in alarm.

It was all wrong.

“What in the name of…”

Her brow furrowed, Courtney blindly followed the sound of the music, walking past the ottoman and through one of the open arched doorways that led to the smaller dining room and kitchen. There were, impossibly, more flowers on the dining room table, and a trio of Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe prints taking up most of the wall directly behind it.

She turned to scan the kitchen, and nearly jumped out of her skin. There was a strange woman there, perched on a barstool at the island.

Courtney looked her up and down, her lips parting involuntarily. The woman was leaning on the counter lazily, flipping through a magazine.  One toned leg was folded underneath her body, making her already sinfully short dress creep up even higher. She was sipping on a clear cocktail – a vodka soda, Courtney thought, or maybe a gin and tonic – which, really, didn’t matter at all in the grand scheme of things, not when there were more obviously more pressing questions at hand.

“What the fuck are you doing in my house?”

To Courtney’s annoyance, the woman didn’t seem startled at all by Courtney’s outburst. In fact, she didn’t even bother to look up from her magazine.

“Oh, hey,” she said, taking another long sip of her drink. “You must be Courtney.”

“How do you know my name?”

“I’m Willam,” the woman drawled by way of response, setting her glass down on the island and finally glancing over at Courtney. “I live here.”

Courtney whipped her head around to look over her shoulder, as if there might be some explanation behind her as to what the hell was going on. She dug her fingernails into her palms in an attempt to keep from legitimately losing it.

“Am I being fucking _Punk’d_ right now?”

Willam directed her attention back to the glossy pages of _Cosmopolitan._ “Oh, please, girl,” she scoffed. “As if you’re that important.”

Courtney gaped at her, unable to find the words to properly express her outrage at Willam – for being so pretentious, for her apparent lack of humanity, and for daring to look like _that_ in the middle of the goddamn kitchen on a Tuesday afternoon.

A smirk crept across Willam’s face as Courtney stared at her blankly for a moment too long before managing to speak again.

“So, you live here,” Courtney said slowly.

“Ooh, she knows how to listen,” Willam cooed sarcastically.

Courtney gritted her teeth.

“Um, how?”

Willam set down her drink, and turned her left hand around, waggling her fingers with a cocky grin plastered to her face.

The giant, princess-cut diamond caught the light, and Courtney felt the balance of the world shift slightly.  

“Is that…”

“Wedding date’s set for August,” Willam said, admiring the ring on her own finger. “Better get used to me quick, princess.”

“Don’t call me that!” Courtney snapped. “You’re like, my age! Jesus Christ, are you even fucking legal?”

“I’m 28, actually,” Willam replied. “But you’re off to a great start, flattery will get you anywhere.”

“That wasn’t a compliment!”

Courtney felt herself spiraling. Everything about her father’s new fiancée rubbed her the wrong way, from her quick retorts to her attitude to her tousled blonde hair that forced Courtney to imagine running her hands through it and making it even messier.

“Run along now,” Willam said with a noncommittal flick of her manicured fingers.

Courtney’s cheeks flushed pink. She wanted to disappear, wanted to punch Willam in the face and melt into a puddle at her feet. She wanted Willam to call her ‘princess’ again, just to hear the way it rolled off her tongue.

Leaving now, after Willam had practically ordered her to like some sort of child, felt like letting the other woman win – but Courtney didn’t think she could stand to be around her any longer, either.

Turning around with a huff, she strode out of the kitchen, her heels clicking aggressively on the tiled floor. Behind her, she thought she could hear Willam laughing.

She scooped up as many bags as she trusted herself to carry, and hurried up the impressive, dark-paneled staircase, wanting to put as much distance in between herself and Willam as possible. The sound of Willam’s music faded as Courtney reached the top and made her way down the hall to her right until she reached her old bedroom.

There was still a hook screwed into the top of the door, but the sign that had previously hung there, labeling it “Courtney’s Kingdom”, was absent. She ran a gentle hand over the wood, the scratch marks from the edge of the sign still present, as if it had been removed recently.

“Willam,” she muttered angrily.

She pushed her way into her room, relieved to see that Willam hadn’t totally remodeled in there as well. Her collection of suitcases was scattered on the floor, having shipped successfully earlier that week, the light blue print matching that of her other bags.

Dropping her things on the floor, Courtney walked over to the bed and sat down with a sigh. She could feel the beginnings of a headache forming in her temples, and she rubbed at them in a futile attempt dispel it.

She wished her father were home to clear everything up, maybe even reveal that “ _It’s all just a misunderstanding, Courtney, Willam’s actually just a cheap hooker who overstayed her welcome and stole some jewelry.”_

If she couldn’t deal with the issue at hand right now, though, Courtney figured she could at least distract herself by unpacking some of her things. As she remembered, her closet had lots of room to fill up.

Bending down to grab a suitcase, she dragged it over to the closet with difficulty. The door slid open, and Courtney’s newly regained serenity shot straight out the window.

The bottom of the closet was covered with shoes. And not just any shoes – expensive designer pumps, by the looks of them, none of which belonged to her. She started to count the red bottoms, and stopped after reaching ten, her blood boiling. She closed the closet door as quickly as she could, and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force the hot tears threatening to break the surface back down.

When Courtney got frustrated, her body’s natural reaction was to cry, and she hated it, hated how it made her seem irrational and overly sensitive.

It just wasn’t supposed to be like this.

It’s not that she wasn’t used to her father bringing girls home after her parents’ divorce. It was the opposite, really: there were the Sarahs and the Samanthas, the Heathers and the Haileys, each of them sauntering in and out of Courtney’s early life in quick succession.

She’d since reasoned that her father wasn’t the type to settle down, and had chosen instead to pay little mind to the semi-annual rotation of girlfriends during the few weekends she actually got to spend at her father’s house thanks to the joint custody agreement in place.

They’d all tried to _relate_ to Courtney, too, which was hilarious and infuriating in its own right. She was nice about it, let each woman believe that they could be _the one_ for her father, but Courtney knew better. They’d be gone by the end of the month, and Courtney could go back to deepening her tan, calling her childhood best friend Alaska over to watch trashy reality TV and to paint each other’s nails.

But now there was Willam, and she had a shiny rock on her ring finger, and Courtney didn’t know how to cope with that.

She violently shoved handfuls of underwear from her luggage into the antique bureau she’d loved so much growing up, taking out her irritation on the tiny lacy garments and mismatched socks.

When was her father planning on telling her, anyway? Had he hoped that Courtney would just waltz right in and figure it out for herself, that she’d think it was a cute surprise? She nearly snorted aloud. Her father was more than _twice_ Willam’s age.

Her stomach churned, and she tried to determine if she was most mad at her father, for putting her in this godawful situation; his new fiancée, for her stupid outfit and face and _voice_ ; or herself, for seemingly being unable to get Willam out of her head, no matter how hard she tried.

With no more underwear left to unpack, Courtney found herself staring down her closet door, her hands fidgeting in her lap. There had to be something she could do, some way to regain control over the situation, shift the balance of power at least a little.

After a few more long moments of indecisiveness, Courtney tentatively returned to her closet. She had to make at least one room in the house entirely her own. The shoes had to go.

With renewed determination, Courtney started to gather the shoes, picking up as many pairs as she could, until her arms were full. She got to her feet, shuffled over to the door, and bumped it open with her hip. The master bedroom was on the opposite side of the house, which meant Courtney had to make her way down the long hall and past the stairs, hoping that Willam wouldn’t hear her moving around and come up to bother her.

Finally, Courtney reached the paneled wood door, and dumped the entire armful of shoes unceremoniously in front. There was a loud clattering noise as the pumps hit the floor, and Courtney grinned victoriously. She brushed her hands off on her jeans, surveying the scene.

Struck with inspiration, she leaned over, plucking a pair of clear, blue and red plastic Louboutins from the heap. Pink and silver sparkles caught her eye, and she reached further, grabbing that pair as well. It wasn't like Willam didn’t have a few sets to spare, Courtney reasoned. Satisfied with herself, she stood and turned on her heel, marching back down the hall to her room.

She didn’t want – no, she _refused_ – to allow some glorified stripper with a superiority complex ruin her entire summer, or her chances at reconnecting with her father.

Willam might be living in the house now, but it sure as hell wasn’t her home. In fact, Courtney was positive that she wouldn’t even be there another month, much less till the wedding.

She slammed the bedroom door shut behind her, and decided with a burst of conviction that she would still reclaim the house as her own, whether Willam was there to distract her or not.

She would do what she pleased, and Willam could go fuck herself.

And what Courtney wanted right now, more than anything, was to dig out her bathing suit, go lay by the pool, and hopefully avoid having to interact with her father’s new fiancée for a few hours. She deserved at least that much.

Fifteen minutes later, Courtney was striding out the back doors and towards the pool in her red bikini and one of the stolen pairs of Willam’s Louboutins, her light hair pulled messily into a topknot.

She felt like a model, camera-ready and confident. It was almost like being sixteen again, getting ready to lay out at the pool with Alaska and Adore, except now, the tables were turned: she was prettier, but far less happy.  

While her father had worked, holed up in his office alongside stacks of legal documents and bills, Courtney had spent most of her free time on visiting weekends out here. She’d quickly learned to enjoy her own company, which was fine by her. It wasn’t as if teenage Courtney had wanted anything to do with the man who’d cheated on her mom over and over, and then denied it so convincingly that her mom had thought it was all in her head.

She’d gained some distance from her emotions surrounding that particular situation as the years passed, and so it wasn’t too much of a struggle to decide to give her father another chance. He might’ve changed, she figured – and there was always the possibility that her perception of what had happened between her parents was distorted.

And anyways, even if her father was just as bad as she remembered, it couldn’t hurt to secure her cut of his wealth in the will.

“Couldn’t stay away?” Willam’s voice pulled Courtney out of her thoughts, and she stopped in her tracks, unable to believe her terrible luck.  

The other woman was stretched out on one of the long chairs beside the pool, round sunglasses covering most of her face. She’d discarded the dress from earlier, exchanging it for what had to be the skimpiest bikini Courtney had ever seen – not that she was staring, or anything.

It was just that the tanning oil was making Willam’s flat stomach and the tops of her breasts glisten so temptingly, and she couldn’t seem to stop looking.

Willam turned, lowering her shades and surveying Courtney as if she were an item with a price tag, like a dress that she was considering trying on. Courtney blushed, feeling the sudden urge to cover up under her scrutiny, and Willam’s lips tilted upwards in a smirk.

“Love the shoes,” she commented, meeting Courtney’s gaze. “I have great taste, don’t I?”

“I dunno,” Courtney said. She glanced down at her feet. “I think they’re kinda tacky.”

Willam’s eyes narrowed in annoyance, and Courtney pumped her fist internally at her success in finally getting a reaction out of the other woman.

“It’s a pool party shoe,” she said dismissively. “Not my best.”

Rolling her eyes, Courtney headed for her favorite of the chairs by the pool – thankfully, the one farthest away from Willam. She swore she could feel Willam watching her in that same commodifying way as she walked past, which was surprisingly exhilarating.

With some effort and a lot of willpower, Courtney managed to avoid looking back at Willam as she relaxed into the chair. They weren’t exactly seated near each other, but Courtney still felt hyper-aware of her presence. It was as if she was finely tuned to pick up on the sounds of Willam’s breathing, the subtle way she shifted her weight on the chair.

So, when the other woman suddenly began to make a lot more noise, Courtney couldn’t help but turn her head to see what was going on. Willam had stood up, and was tying her hair back into a low ponytail, heading over towards the edge of the pool.

Without meaning to, Courtney found herself following Willam with her eyes, like in one of those cliched movie scenes where the camera panned up over the perfect body of the female lead. _She might as well be naked,_ Courtney thought. Which wasn’t a terrible mental image, she had to admit. Particularly since she was now unable to get the picture out of her head.

“It’s rude to stare,” Willam announced as she sat down, legs dangling over the edge of the pool. “I usually charge money for that.”

Courtney nearly choked on air. Had she really been that obvious?

“Cat got your tongue, sweetie?” Willam looked over her shoulder, her mocking smile taunting Courtney.

“I probably still have a dollar or two left in my phone case,” Courtney finally managed to say. “Isn’t that your usual going rate?”

The smile widened into a more genuine grin, and Willam chuckled, swinging her feet so water splashed up her legs. She had nice teeth, Courtney noted. And a nice smile, too – the kind that made you want to take notice, study her for a really long time.

Clearing her throat, Courtney looked down at her hands. For a second there, she could almost see why her father must’ve been drawn to Willam in the first place.

“Yeah, by the way, I used some of your closet space,” Willam commented. “Forgot to mention that.”

“Oh, I saw.”

“I mean, it’s all my closet space, if you wanna get official about it,” she added after a moment, a cocky tilt to her head. “Cause, y’know… my house.”

“But that’s my room,” Courtney argued, frowning. Whatever glimmer of likeability she thought she’d seen from Willam was quickly vanishing, replaced by the same intense irritation that had already ruined her day once.

“Sure, for now.”

“What the fuck is that, some kind of threat?”

“Ooh, language,” Willam replied, clicking her tongue disapprovingly.

“You’re such a bitch,” Courtney burst out.

“You kiss your daddy with that mouth?”

Courtney groaned. She crossed her arms, looking away pointedly.

Willam chuckled again, splashing water out of the pool **.** Courtney clenched her jaw. Why did Willam insist on being so difficult? It was like she’d been placed on the planet specifically to drive Courtney up the wall.

Courtney prided herself on her ability to get along with almost anyone. The problem here was clearly on Willam’s side, not on hers. She was a perfectly nice person – it wasn’t her fault that Willam had no manners, no common courtesy, and seemed to get a kick out of being an utter pain in the ass.

“You know, as soon as my dad gets home, I’m gonna tell him exactly what kind of person you really are,” Courtney called, still refusing to look at Willam.

“And what kinda person is that, kitten?”

“A _bad_ one,” Courtney replied quickly, flinching slightly at the lame response.

“Ooh, savage,” Willam snorted.

“And don’t call me that!”

“Whatever you say, princess.”

Courtney huffed out a sigh, feeling like a pouty child with her arms crossed and her lower lip sticking out.

“You can tell your dad everything at family dinner tonight,” Willam added. “Not that it’ll change anything. Dave knew he wasn’t proposing to America’s sweetheart.”

 _“_ Wait, _family dinner_?”

_

“So, how are you girls getting along?” Dave asked finally, attempting to break through the uncomfortable silence that filled the dining room.

Courtney looked up from her plate to see Willam smirking around a forkful of salad across the table. She opened her mouth, ready to inform her father of what a nightmare Willam really was, and closed it again.

“Um, fine,” she said instead, watching Willam’s eyebrows raise in amusement. She didn’t know what compelled her to lie, but suspected that Willam had known all along that she wouldn’t go through with it.

“Courtney borrowed a pair of my shoes,” Willam added.

“Oh, how… nice,” Dave said.

The room quickly fell into silence again, disturbed only by the irritatingly loud sounds of Dave occasionally clearing his throat and of Willam chewing.

Courtney wanted to scream.

Nothing about today was turning out how she’d planned. The reunion with her father that she’d hyped up so much in her head had been lackluster at best, and painfully awkward at worst. And Willam’s interruption of their shaky conversation – by way of an attention-grabbing entrance via the staircase – had made it just that much less satisfying.

Dave, in his typical way, had vanished upstairs to his office as soon as possible, leaving Courtney stuck downstairs with Willam once again. When the hired chef had arrived to make dinner, Courtney had volunteered to help immediately, just to avoid having to interact with her.

And now, here she was, stuck sitting right across from the other woman in the formal dining room, with nothing to do aside from stare at her and then pretend that she hadn’t been whenever Willam made eye contact.

“So, um, dad,” Courtney finally spoke up, desperate to shift the atmosphere. “How did you two meet? What’s the story here?”

“Internet,” Willam said, before Dave could respond.

“Yes, online,” Dave added with a nod.

“Oh, did you click one of those ads to chat with ‘hot young singles in your area’?” Courtney asked, her tone biting as she glared at Willam.

“No, it was one of those dating websites,” Dave said. “She found me, she seemed interested.”

“Oh, I’m sure she did,” Courtney murmured.

“We met up, and, well, the rest is history,” he finished.

“He’s just my kinda man,” Willam added, a smile that Courtney immediately recognized as false on her face as she batted her eyelashes at Dave. “Mature sort of gentleman, comfortable. Generous.”  

Courtney nearly laughed out loud at ‘generous.’ In the 40 years her father had been making money, she was positive that no one had ever used that particular word to describe him.

“You’re too kind, sweetheart,” Dave replied, patting her hand.

“She really is,” Courtney agreed, rolling her eyes.

It was so painfully obvious that this was all a game to Willam. If she played her part correctly, she’d get rewarded with gifts and credit cards, and eventually, the biggest cut in the will. Courtney couldn’t believe that her father was falling for it.

“How was work today, babe?” Willam directed at her fiancé, clearly trying to steer the conversation in a less risky direction.

“Could’ve been better,” Dave said, shaking his head. “We’re trying to close on this deal, but getting through all the paperwork has been such a hassle…”

Almost immediately, Courtney stopped paying attention, an old habit that had apparently remained in place over the years. Willam, on her end, was nodding and blinking vapidly at him, still pretending to be engaged.

And the act was believable, too. If Courtney hadn’t felt the cool shoe sliding slowly up her thigh, she might’ve even thought that Willam truly was invested in trade secrets and company policy.

She froze, dropping her fork in surprise. Willam refused to acknowledge her, still playing the role of doting fiancée as her heel crept higher up Courtney’s leg. She could feel the flush rising in her cheeks again and she swallowed hard, trying not to squirm in her seat, a task that was easier said than done. She squeezed her thighs together, frustrated at how her body was betraying her, reacting to Willam’s touch so eagerly.  

 _“Willam!”_ she hissed, and Willam’s gaze snapped over to meet hers. The foot promptly withdrew.

 _Oops_ , Willam mouthed with a shrug.

Courtney gaped at her, at a total loss for words. She glanced over at her father, who thankfully seemed to have missed the entire exchange.

She could still feel the ghost of Willam’s contact buzzing on her skin, and when Willam glanced at her again, she couldn’t help but bite her lip.

Dave was still rambling about something or other, and Willam kept nodding and watching him, her full lips parted. The room felt very hot all of a sudden, and Courtney needed air.

“Can I please be excused?” Courtney croaked.

Without waiting for an answer, she pushed her chair out from the table and stood abruptly, wadding up the napkin on her lap in a ball and tossing it by her half-eaten plate of food.

Fleeing to the kitchen, she rested her arms on the edge of the sink, turning the water on cold and splashing some on her face **.** Her cheeks felt a little less warm, but it did nothing to help the heat still twisting low in her stomach. Squeezing her eyes shut, she shook her head and turned off the water.

“You’re a mess,” said Willam. Courtney jumped, spinning around to see the other woman leaning casually against the counter behind her.

“Are you stalking me or something?” Courtney demanded, her heart rate picking up again. “What the hell _was_ that back there?”

“Told you, it was an accident,” Willam said with a shrug.

“That’s a really big fucking accident.”

“Girl, don’t pretend you didn’t like it.” Willam pushed herself off the counter, taking a step towards Courtney. “I could see you getting all flustered. You ain’t subtle.”

Courtney’s back was to the sink now as Willam moved even closer, into her space. Courtney sputtered, wanting to deny Willam’s claims, but the words wouldn’t come out.

 _Oh my god, what is she doing?_ Courtney’s mind was moving at a mile a minute. _She can’t be_ – _but what if she is?_

Willam was close enough that Courtney could smell her perfume, and she attempted to steady her breathing, hoping that maybe Willam wouldn’t notice how affected she was. There were a million reasons for Courtney to stop this in its tracks right now, a million reasons to push Willam away or slap her in the face. But the cut of Willam’s dress was low, and the line of her collarbone was soft and graceful, and Courtney couldn’t bring herself to consider any one of those reasons.

Impossibly, Willam kept closing in, and Courtney had nowhere to go, trapped by the cool marble of the countertop. And honestly, she wasn’t sure she’d want to go anywhere, even if she could.

Willam stopped, so close that Courtney could almost feel her body heat radiating off her in waves. She exhaled, her breath ghosting over Courtney’s lips, and Courtney reached out on instinct, her hand landing on Willam’s hip.

The corners of Willam’s mouth turned up into a wry smile.

“Knew it,” she murmured.

As quickly as Willam had advanced, she backed away. Turning, she left the kitchen, throwing one last knowing smirk Courtney’s way as she walked through the archway.

Courtney’s knees felt weak, and she gripped the edge of the counter behind her for support, trying to catch her breath. She’d been so sure Willam was going to kiss her, and she’d done nothing at all to stop it.

Courtney stared blankly into the empty space where Willam had been until just a moment ago.

The sound of Willam’s laughter, loud and emphatic, carried in from the dining room. Courtney closed her eyes, trying to figure out what her father could’ve said to evoke that kind of reaction. She wondered if she could make Willam laugh like that, too.

It hadn’t even been a full day, and all of Courtney’s plans for her summer were already in pieces at her feet. She had no idea what to make of Willam or how to handle her, and there was no evidence that it was going to get any easier.

There was only the hum of the refrigerator, the thumping in Courtney’s chest, and the realization that she was totally, completely fucked. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miss Bianca’s A/N: So. This is an idea I came up with after the revelation that Willam’s kind of like your dad’s second wife, who’s only a few years older than you and is really funny and likeable, even though you want to hate her. Doing this collab was jazz’s idea, and I am so fucking happy she came up with it, because it turns out we’re the dream team and we churned this out real damn fast (thank god for google docs). This is obviously a multichap, and we’d both love feedback. No, seriously, please, tell us what you thought. 
> 
> jazz’s A/N: Miss Bianca relayed this prompt to me and I immediately died & then revived myself to write this fic, which is probably the longest thing I’ve written without devolving into pure smut!!! But just you wait LMAO <3


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miss Bianca’s A/N: Aaaaaaand, we’re back!! Writing this is just what we do in our spare time, now - particularly after all the great feedback we got. Y'all ain't ready for this chapter. 
> 
> jazz’s A/N: So much sexual tension!!! Have fun with this one, friends <3 As always, let us know what you think on here or on our sideblogs!

Willam was everywhere, and Courtney had just about had it.

She was in every song Courtney heard on the radio, in every lipstick-stained glass left scattered around the house. Courtney found her discarded acrylic nails inexplicably abandoned on countertops, and strands of her bleached blonde hair on all the furniture.

Every time Courtney turned a corner, Willam was behind it, ready to make some snarky comment. Whenever Courtney entered a room, Willam appeared shortly thereafter to annoy her. No matter where she was in the house, she could hear the clicking of Willam’s heels, muted, off in the distance.

She tried to keep herself above it all, but Willam seemed determined to drag her down into the mud, making sure to provoke her at every opportunity.

And as if all of that wasn’t bad enough, Willam had made it her personal mission to take up more and more of Courtney’s closet space, despite all of the room she had in her own. First, there were the shoes, which Courtney had found again in the bottom, as if she’d never carried them to the master bedroom that first day when she’d arrived. Then, there were jackets, and robes, and finally, a huge fur coat that Courtney proceeded to carry out of her room and throw over the banister into the foyer. She loved watching the way the coat billowed in the air as it tumbled to the tiled floor.

“Hey, that was fucking expensive!” Willam had yelled, when she found it.

“I’m a fucking vegan!” Courtney had yelled back.

The fur coat had appeared back in her closet the next day, and she’d left it on the floor by the front door.

Her father didn’t get it, didn’t understand Courtney’s incessant bemoaning, why she’d been so jittery and on edge recently. But then again, there were a lot of things about him that Courtney didn’t get, either.

For one, why he – or anyone else – would meet Willam and want to put a ring on her finger.

“She’s not as bad as you’re making her out to be, Courtney,” was Dave’s distracted response.

“Even if she wasn’t, why did you ask her, of all people, to marry you?” Courtney asked, her arms crossed. “You’ve dated plenty of perfectly nice women in the past seven years, I’m sure. So why her?”

Dave set down his phone on the counter with a sigh, and turned to face her.

“I’m not getting any younger,” he said. “Women like Willam aren’t always going to be lining up to date me.”

“Well, good. Maybe there’ll be some friendly, civil women lining up instead.”

“Courtney,” Dave sighed, seeming exasperated. “It’s time for me to settle again. I don’t have the energy to keep playing the field, and with you coming back to stay here, it seemed wrong to not have someone else around to keep you company.”

“Wait, you’re saying she’s here because of _me_?” Courtney gaped at him, her hands clenched into fists. “Well, you can take the ring back, then, because I don’t want her around.”

“You’re being dramatic, Courtney.”

“Oh, am I?” Courtney could hear her voice getting louder, wondered if Willam was listening. With her luck, she probably was.

 **“** She has expensive tastes, and I have the money to spoil her **,”** Dave said, his voice low and even, “And she’s always very… appreciative.”

“Dad!” Her face contorted into an expression of pure disgust. She’d heard enough. “Just pay for a hooker, for god’s sake! Then I won’t have to deal with her.”

“Hey,” he said warningly. “Just give her a chance.”

“It’s been a week. I’ve given her plenty of chances.”

“Well, she seems to like you just fine,” Dave said, throwing up his hands. “I think you two need to spend some quality time together outside of the house.”

“No time with her is quality time, Dad! She’s –”

“That’s enough,” he cut her off firmly. “You two are going to go somewhere together, tomorrow. I don’t want my girls fighting anymore.”

“But, I –”

“End of discussion, Courtney.” With that, Dave turned and walked away, leaving Courtney standing by herself in the kitchen, practically vibrating with frustration.

As soon as she heard him walk upstairs, she slammed her fist down on the counter angrily, wincing as her hand collided with the marble.

“Ooh, careful there, princess.”

Courtney rubbed her forehead, sighing deeply, and looked up to see Willam leaning against one of the archways that led into the kitchen. She seemed to have just come inside from tanning, wearing one of her seemingly endless supply of bikinis with a sheer robe, sunglasses dangling from her finger.

“You heard that whole conversation, didn’t you?” Courtney said.

“No,” Willam replied, glancing upwards. “Just most of it. _Loved_ the part where you told your dad to hire a hooker, though. Real classy.”

“It’s not my fault that he decided to marry one,” Courtney shot back, massaging the side of her hand, which was now sore.

“I know how to manipulate people, and use sex to get what I want,” Willam said calmly. “That doesn’t make me a hooker. Not that there’s anything wrong with being one.”

Courtney just stared at her, irritated but unable to come up with a witty reply to something so truthful, and fully distracted by the way Willam was playing with the front of her robe. She tugged absentmindedly on the satin tie holding it closed, and the front fell open, sliding down off the tops of her shoulders. The bikini top was pink and halter-neck today, pulling her breasts up and together, and Courtney wondered why she’d never worn it before. It looked awfully easy to take off.

“See?” Willam said, and Courtney’s gaze shot up to meet hers again. “Now you’re thinking about having sex with me again, aren’t you?”

“I – well, I –” Courtney stammered, her face flushing. Willam had an extraordinary knack for rendering her speechless, and even though it had been a week, she still wasn’t even close to being used to it.

“It’s fine, kitten,” Willam said, smirking. “I don’t mind. At least you’re cute.”

Courtney opened her mouth, her face feeling even hotter now. She couldn’t believe Willam had the nerve to talk down to her like that. Her pulse quickened inexplicably, and she wanted to tell off her heart for misbehaving.

“Don’t call me that,” she managed to say, hating how whiny and childish her voice sounded, how she wished she weren’t standing so far away from Willam.

“Relax, girl,” Willam replied, rolling her eyes. “It was supposed to be a compliment.”

Courtney shook her head, frozen in place as Willam wiggled her fingers at Courtney and turned to head upstairs, apparently deciding that her work was done here. She threw an upbeat, “See you tomorrow,” over her shoulder before she disappeared from view.

Groaning, Courtney rested her elbows on the counter and buried her head in her hands. She could still feel how warm her face was from blushing, despite her annoyance.

 _See you tomorrow._ The words echoed in Courtney’s mind, an unpleasant guarantee that caused a lump to rise in her throat.

She could barely tolerate Willam in small doses, let alone for an entire afternoon, trapped in public without any viable options for escape. Courtney didn’t even think she was capable of holding a conversation with Willam for longer than ten minutes, and she certainly didn’t trust Willam enough to not push the boundaries, just to see how hot and bothered she could make Courtney in the presence of other people.

And who knew what Willam might wear, or decide _not_ to wear?

When the telltale clicking of Willam’s heels ceased, Courtney knew it was finally safe to trudge upstairs to her room. She resisted the urge to slam her door behind her, not wanting to inform Willam of her whereabouts, just in case she decided she wanted to pay a visit.

In the safety of her room, Courtney let out a long breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in. Reluctantly, she gravitated toward her closet, opening its door to see what Willam might’ve left inside, a habit at this point.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” she muttered. It was the fur coat, again, giant and fluffy and mocking her.  

Pulling it off the hanger, she stomped back over to her door, about to open it and throw the coat down the stairs again, just as one last ‘fuck you’ to Willam.

There wasn’t a point, she realized. Charging back out in the hallway was likely to draw attention, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. Her hand slid off the door handle, and she padded over to her bed instead, flopping down dramatically and laying the coat beside her.

Keeping up with Willam’s exhausting games was taking its toll. Courtney felt spent, physically and mentally. She let her body sink into the mattress and stared at the wall across from her, studded with old posters, postcards of places Dave had traveled for business, and glossy, framed photos. She inspected the pictures with a tired smile – the one of Courtney and her mom from their family vacation to Australia, hung next to a photo of Courtney plastered between Alaska and Adore in a hug, all glowing in long gowns before senior prom.

Things were so much simpler then.

Courtney pulled her phone out from her back pocket, struck with the sudden urge to call Alaska, to talk to someone sane about the crazy week that she’d had. She desperately needed to vent, or she thought she might scream – either that, or fling Willam’s fur monstrosity out her bedroom window, once and for all.

Alaska answered on the third ring, and Courtney wanted to hug her through the phone.

“I’m being punished for something,” Courtney began, in place of a greeting. “I don’t know what I did, but I think I’m currently paying for it.”

“Well, hi to you, too,” Alaska replied.

“Alaska,” Courtney whined, dragging out her friend’s name for much longer than was necessary. “This is serious. Help me.”

“I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s wrong, can I?”

“My dad is getting married,” Courtney said.

“Oh,” Alaska said. There was a pause. “How old is she?”

“28.”

“God. That’s fucked up.”

“I know. I need some good news. Distract me.”

“Well, my internship is going really well,” Alaska started slowly. “It’s not the most thrilling thing in the world, but I guess you have to start somewhere if –”

"You know, I feel like a prisoner in my own home," Courtney complained, cutting Alaska off completely.

“You poor thing,” Alaska said indulgently, with a sigh.

“Willam acts like she owns the place,” Courtney fumed. “Oh, her name’s Willam, by the way.”

“The _nerve_ ,” Alaska commented dryly.

“And half the time, she’s hardly even wearing any clothing! It’s like she couldn’t care less that I’m here, and that it’s my goddamn house, too.”

“Mmhm.”

“She uses my closet space for her shoes and her robes and her stupid fur coat,” Courtney continued. “I hate that thing, I wanna set it on fire.”

Pausing for a few seconds to catch her breath, Courtney looked at the coat next to her, and realized she had a fistful of the fur in her hand, squeezing it tightly out of frustration. She let go immediately, her hand jerking back to rest on her stomach as if she’d been burned.

“So, I take it we don’t like her.”

“We _hate_ her, Alaska,” Courtney corrected. “She’s irritating, and bitchy, and tacky.”

“Sounds terrible.”

“I bet she’s had work done,” Courtney mused. “There’s no way her boobs are real.”

“What, are they like balloons or something?”

“No, no,” Courtney shook her head. “They’re just really… really perfect.”

There was silence on the other end of the line.

“You there?”

“You should probably stop staring at your dad’s fiancée’s tits, Court.”

“I don’t – well, I don’t _try_ to stare at them!”

“How about her ass, do you stare at that?”

“Alaska!”

“What? It’s a valid question.”

“Well, she has really nice legs,” Courtney admitted after a moment. “And she’s a big fan of stilettos, so…”

“So, do we hate her?” Alaska asked. “Or do we want to fuck her.”

Courtney opened her mouth, indignant, and then closed it again, staring up at the ceiling. She chewed on her lower lip, absentmindedly running her fingers through the fur of Willam’s coat. It smelled like her, Courtney realized – her perfume, her shampoo.

“Um,” she said.

“Is it both?”

“I think it might be,” Courtney sighed.

“Can you send me a picture of her?”

“I don’t have any.”

“Then go to her Instagram and get one,” Alaska said. “And don’t try to pretend you haven’t stalked her.”

“I have not!” Courtney protested.

“Courtney, I know you better than that.”

Rolling her eyes, Courtney put Alaska on speakerphone and went to find a picture. Her best friend was, of course, right. She’d stalked Willam’s social media for the third time the night before, and she knew exactly which picture to send.

“Check your messages.”

“Um, holy crap,” Alaska said after a moment. “Does she walk around the house like that?”

“Usually it’s in bikinis, not lingerie, but it has the same effect either way.”

“Okay,” Alaska exhaled. “Well, I can’t in good conscience tell you that you should fuck your dad’s fiancée.”

“Of course not.”

“But that doesn’t mean that I’d, like, judge you,” she continued. “If you did.”

Courtney pictured Willam down the hall, sprawled out naked on her own king-size bed, and her stomach twisted. She was only about twenty, twenty-five steps away, probably, and that knowledge alone was enough to make Courtney want to jump out of her own skin.

“Alaska!” Courtney exclaimed.

“What?”

“I’m not gonna fuck Willam!”

“Okay, okay,” Alaska said with a chuckle. “I’m just saying, if you do, you can tell me about it.”

“There won’t be anything to tell,” Courtney insisted.

“I’m sure you’re right.”

“I’m hanging up now,” Courtney announced, rolling her eyes. “Love you.”

“Love your pussy,” Alaska drawled, and then the line went dead.

Courtney dropped her phone on the bed, and sighed heavily. Alaska seemed pretty convinced that something was going to happen between her and Willam – and she’d be lying if she said that just a little part of her didn’t hope that her friend was right.

-

It was noon before Courtney finally managed to drag herself reluctantly out of bed the next day. She’d woken up a couple of hours earlier, and sat up lazily to see Willam’s coat still lying near the foot of the bed, an unpleasant reminder of what the day had in store for her. There was only so much longer she could delay the inevitable.

Downstairs in the kitchen, she was greeted by the sight of Willam in an almost-sheer white silk robe and nothing else, picking at a small bowl of fruit in front of her.

Instantly, she regretted ever getting up in the first place. The other woman was standing at the bar, her back to Courtney, and Courtney’s mouth was dry.

 _“How about her ass, do you stare at that?”_ Alaska’s voice rang in Courtney’s ears mockingly, and she managed to tear her eyes away from Willam, walking past her and opening the fridge.

“Good morning to you, too,” Willam commented.

“Kind of a shitty one, actually.” Courtney slammed the fridge shut, and went to get some water from the sink instead.

“I haven’t gotten dressed yet,” Willam said.

“Oh, I thought you were going out in that,” Courtney replied dryly.

“Nah. Not tight enough.”

Courtney made the mistake of turning to look at Willam again, and squeezed her water glass tightly. Willam’s forearm was resting against the countertop, pulling the robe tight over her chest, and Courtney could see the darker outlines of her nipples through the light, insubstantial fabric.

Willam was watching her with an amused expression, and Courtney wanted to press her against the counter and wipe the look off her face. Breathing slowly through her nose, she took a sip of water, attempting to calm herself down.

“Dave gave me the Amex,” Willam said, tapping the credit card on the counter with a nail. “We’re going shopping.”

If her father was about to force her to spend time with Willam, at least he had the decency to fund the outing.

“Is there a cab coming or something?”

“Nah, I’m driving,” Willam said, standing upright and adjusting the robe on her shoulders. With effort, Courtney kept her gaze on Willam’s face.

“What, he didn’t wanna pay for a taxi?”

“I told him I didn’t want one,” Willam shrugged, before pushing the bowl of fruit away and heading out of the kitchen. “Driving’s fun.”

Courtney struggled with the image of Willam sitting behind the wheel of a car, figuring Willam must drive some tiny convertible, probably in bright red. Suitably obnoxious for someone like her.

Courtney was shocked to find Willam a half hour later, fully dressed in something only slightly more appropriate than the sheer robe, dangling keys to a Jeep from her pointer finger.

“You drive a Jeep?” Courtney asked, following Willam out to the parking pad.

“What did you expect, a Prius?”

“I don’t know, something small and shiny and expensive looking,” Courtney shrugged.

“Small cars are for pussies.”

Unsure how to respond to that, Courtney opened the passenger door of the Jeep and climbed inside. The sight of Willam in the big driver’s seat was almost comical, with her glittery makeup and tiny dress, popping her gum and lowering her sunglasses over her eyes.

Once she turned on the car and started driving, though, the urge to laugh vanished. Willam drove almost carelessly, like she could do it in her sleep, one hand resting lazily on the top of the wheel while the other fiddled with the radio.

Watching out of the corner of her eye, Courtney noticed Willam’s thigh flex as she pressed on the gas pedal. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the leather hot against her skin.

“Where are we going, anyway?” Courtney asked, in an attempt to distract herself.

“Santa Monica,” Willam replied. “It’s a great place to blow all your future husband’s money.”

Rolling her eyes, Courtney glanced down at her phone. There was a text from Alaska, consisting only of side-eye and smirking emojis.

The trip passed slowly, punctuated by a few choice expletives thrown out the open driver’s side window and the predictable popping of Willam’s gum. Courtney was grateful when they finally reached their destination, even if only because leaving the car meant she’d have something to think about other than how unexpectedly attractive Willam looked while driving.

“Lead the way,” Courtney offered with a grimace.

Willam was in her element, Courtney could tell. She may as well have stayed home – Willam was much more interested in the strappy wedges and the chunky belt she’d scored than she was in Courtney’s company. Every once in a while, Willam would toss out an, “ooh, _pretty_ ,” or a, “gimme that,” but Courtney figured the comments weren’t meant for her response, not really.

Courtney thumbed through a rack of shirts, wondering how long she’d have to keep this charade up before her father would be satisfied that they’d “bonded,” whatever the hell that meant. She pulled out a blouse to inspect, red chiffon and off-the-shoulder.

“You’d look good in that one,” Willam noted, appearing behind Courtney with a few garments folded over her forearm, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. “Try it on.”

Willam motioned toward the fitting rooms with a nod, and Courtney swallowed hard, feeling compelled to follow.

They passed through a set of velour curtains and into the softly lit changing room, an ornate, oversized mirror propped against the adjacent wall and a chandelier hanging daintily from the ceiling. Courtney made a beeline for the first open stall, closing the curtain behind her.

She removed her top and slid the new blouse over her head, its tags poking her ribcage. She appraised herself in the mirror for a moment, giving a slight twirl.

Courtney heard the clamoring of hangers and zippers from the stall to her right, accompanied by a muffled “ _damn it_.” Then, after an exasperated sigh, Willam called out, “Hey, need your help.”

Courtney opted to ignore her, tugging at the sleeves of her blouse. It _did_ look good on her.

And then Willam was barging into her space, one hand clutching the front of a strapless dress to her otherwise bare chest and at least five more items of clothing hung over her other arm. She dumped the clothes unceremoniously on the bench, and turned her back to Courtney.

“Zip me.”

“What the hell are you doing?” Courtney demanded.

“Trying on a dress,” Willam said. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

“Uh, barging into my changing room without asking permission.”

“Just zip up the dress, Court.”

Courtney half wanted to refuse, just to spite her, but she figured she’d just come off as a child throwing a fit. Willam held her hair up off her back, glancing over her shoulder at Courtney expectantly. Sighing, Courtney started zipping the dress up slowly, pulling the stiff red fabric together over Willam’s back and resisting the urge to run her fingers across the smooth skin.

“I think it’s a size too small,” she said after a moment, when the zipper refused to move any farther halfway up Willam’s ribcage.

“No, it’s not,” Willam insisted. “Hold on, lemme suck in.”

Willam held her breath, and Courtney tugged on the zipper again. Sure enough, it slid up the rest of the way, and Willam exhaled.

“What do you think?” she asked, flicking her hair over her shoulder as she looked in the mirror.

The dress was skin tight and came down to her mid-thigh, with a low sweetheart neckline. It was also definitely a size too small, and as Willam turned to face her, Courtney’s gaze fixed on her cleavage automatically.

What did she think? She hated the thing. She thought she’d like Willam to wear it all day, just so that she could personally rip it off of her later, the more damage done to the dress the better.

“It’s okay,” Courtney managed to say instead, swallowing.

“Yeah, I’m not crazy about it either. Unzip?”

Courtney’s knuckles grazed Willam’s spine as she pulled the zipper south, focusing on her hands in an attempt to ignore the fact that in just a matter of seconds, Willam would be entirely topless.

Willam tugged the material down over her hips, wiggling out of the dress, and it dropped to the floor. Courtney took a deep breath, and pointedly avoided Willam’s reflection in the mirror.

And then, Willam stepped out of the dress and leaned over to pick it up, and despite her best attempts, Courtney failed to avert her eyes this time.

She was tanned and toned all over, and Courtney wanted to sink her fingers into the few places on her body that were soft. Particularly her ass, which was currently mere inches away from being pressed against Courtney’s hips.

Willam _had_ to know what she was doing, Courtney realized. At this point, it just wasn’t realistic that she could’ve seen the other woman mostly naked so many times by accident. Willam was rifling through her pile of clothes in nothing but panties, and she had to know. She had to.

Courtney very nearly said so aloud, until Willam had to open her mouth and ruin the moment.

“Do you think your dad would like me better in this?” Willam asked, sliding into a crop top. “Or this?” She held out a denim shirt.

“Oh my god, get out of my dressing room.”

Willam glanced up at the ceiling, as if she was considering.

“Nah.” She pulled the crop top off, and Courtney immediately looked away, fumbling in her back pocket for her phone.

The rest of the shopping trip passed far too slowly, and Courtney spent most of it actively trying not to check Willam out – which was difficult, since the other woman had decided they were sharing changing rooms in every store they went in.

By the time they finally climbed back into Willam’s Jeep, laden down with bags of Willam’s purchases, Courtney had seen enough of her body for a lifetime, and she was pretty sure that the blush on her own cheeks was becoming permanent. Whenever she closed her eyes, Courtney was assaulted by images of Willam bending over to take off a skirt, or her back muscles flexing as she pulled a shirt over her head, and her hands itched to touch.

Once Willam pulled up next to the house, Courtney fled, wanting to put as much distance between them as possible. Locking herself in her room, she sank down onto the chair next to her bed and texted Alaska everything.

Alaska had been right. Alaska was always right, as Courtney knew.

She just hadn’t wanted her to be right about this.

She didn’t think either of them had realized how intent Willam apparently was on seducing her, but in all honesty, she wouldn’t have been surprised if Alaska had figured that out, too.

For a week now, Courtney had convinced herself that she was imagining it. She’d even wondered if some of it, like the moment when Willam had nearly kissed her in the kitchen that first night, had ever happened at all.

But after today, she was sure. And she had to do something about it, before it escalated even further.

It was around 4 in the afternoon, which meant Willam was almost definitely out tanning by the pool. Her father wouldn’t be home for another three hours, at the earliest. Plenty of time to confront Willam, and let the tension cool down before Dave arrived.

They needed to clear the air. Before she could change her mind or have second thoughts, Courtney left her room, heading downstairs and out into the backyard.

“Willam!” she announced. “Willam, we need to –”

She spotted Willam by the pool, and the words died in her throat.

The other woman had apparently decided she needed to up her game again, by taking off even more clothing, of course. What Courtney hadn’t mentally prepared herself for, though, was the inevitable conclusion to Willam’s little game.

“You wanted me?” Willam called lazily, a victorious smirk on her face.

Courtney opened her mouth, trying to come up with a response in the midst of the shock of seeing Willam’s naked body sprawled out on a lounge chair, glowing in the late afternoon sun.

It took her much longer to recover her indignance than she wanted to admit, but once she did, she crossed the rest of the distance between them as quickly as she could.

“I’ve had enough of this, Willam,” Courtney declared.

“Of what?” Willam said, disinterested.

“Of _this_!” Courtney gestured towards her with a flailing arm. “This is my house! What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I can’t have tan lines,” Willam said, running her fingertips slowly down over her stomach. “It’s just easier this way.”

Her eyes following Willam’s hand, Courtney bit her lip, trying to catch her breath.

“You should try it sometime,” Willam added suggestively, and Courtney’s gaze snapped back up to her face. Willam had lifted her glasses, a small smile on her lips, and Courtney could hear the challenge in her tone.

“Maybe I will,” she snapped, and Willam raised an eyebrow, as if she didn’t believe her.

Courtney didn’t know if she believed it, herself. But Willam was clearly into her as well, and the opportunity to turn the tables on her was too tempting to resist.

Turning on her heel, she strode back inside, determined not to back down from the challenge. Taking the stairs two at a time, she imagined the look on Willam’s face when she realized that Courtney had actually gone through with it, instead of just storming off and moping.

Once in her bedroom, Courtney stripped, and started rifling through her closet for something to wear temporarily. The silk robe that Willam had worn earlier that morning was hanging near the back, and Courtney grinned.

Pulling it on, Courtney gave herself a once-over in the full length mirror, fussing with her hair until the soft curls fell just right over her shoulders. She was running on pure adrenaline, the heat coiled low in her stomach driving her to recklessness.

Before she could lose her nerve, she was heading back down the stairs and outside again, heartbeat thudding in her ears. Her skin felt hyper-sensitive, the soft brush of the fabric over her nipples making goosebumps rise on her chest.

She stopped directly in front of Willam’s chair, looked her dead in the eyes.

Willam removed her sunglasses, her lips parting.

“You gonna take that off?”

Courtney clenched her fists, her body stiffening momentarily. The sudden intensity of Willam’s gaze on her was more disarming than she’d expected.

“You need some help, sweetheart?” Willam said, the corner of her mouth turning up.

“Fuck you, Willam,” Courtney spat, her jaw tight.

“Do you want to?” Willam’s hand curled on her chest, knuckles brushing over the space between her breasts. “Don’t even answer that, I already know.”

“Do you ever think about maybe shutting up?” Courtney burst out. “Just for like, a minute?”

“Make me.”

Locking eyes with Willam, Courtney pulled the tie on the robe and shrugged it off in one swift motion, letting it fall to her feet, and time seemed to stand still.

Willam grinned, and tossed her sunglasses onto the side table, her hungry gaze traveling slowly over Courtney’s form.

“Come here, kitten.”

For once, Courtney didn’t think. She just moved.

The fabric of the lounge chair felt rough against her skin as she crawled up over Willam’s body, her thigh sliding between Willam’s as she hovered over her, one arm resting on either side of her torso.

“I told you not to call me that,” she breathed, face to face with Willam now.

“But you answer to it.” Willam’s fingertips slid up her side slowly.

“You’re such a bitch.”

“You love it,” Willam murmured, her hand coming up to cup Courtney’s cheek, thumb running over her lips. “It makes you all hot and bothered, doesn’t it?”

“Shut up,” Courtney hissed, frustrated.

Willam’s thumb teased at her lower lip, brushing over her teeth, and Courtney opened her mouth, biting down on the digit before running her tongue over the tip.

Willam tried to pull her hand free, but Courtney resisted.

“See?” Willam breathed, her fingers curling under Courtney’s chin. “Kitten.”

Leaning up, Willam pressed her lips to Courtney’s jaw, then the corner of her mouth, nails scratching lightly over the sides of her ribs.

Courtney whimpered inadvertently, her lips closing around Willam’s thumb. The heat of Willam’s skin was driving her insane, and she pressed closer, needing to feel more of it, her hips rolling forwards. Willam’s hand slid down her back to rest on her ass.

When Courtney’s lips finally crashed against Willam’s, it was feverish and needy. The press of Willam’s tongue against hers felt like a challenge, and Courtney lost herself in it. She reveled in the sensation of Willam’s chest, soft and warm against her own, deepening the kiss greedily.

Willam’s fingers tangled in her hair, tugging her head back roughly to break the kiss momentarily, and then her mouth was hot on Courtney’s neck, sucking and biting.

“No hickeys,” Courtney said, her voice unsteady. Willam’s teeth dug into her pulse point anyway, lips closing around her skin, and Courtney groaned, practically melting down onto her.

“Oops,” she murmured, and Courtney could feel her smirk against her skin.

“Fuck, I hate you,” Courtney exhaled, one hand moving to her own breasts.

“Oh, so that’s why you’re so wet?”

Willam shifted slightly, bending her knee, and suddenly her thigh was pressing against Courtney’s core, proving her point. Feeling another whimper building in her chest, Courtney leaned down to kiss Willam again, trying in vain to muffle the sound. Willam nipped at her lower lip, tugging it sharply between her teeth.

“Need you to touch me,” Courtney whined against her lips, no longer caring how strung out she sounded.

“No you don’t,” Willam said. Her other hand moved down to join the first on Courtney’s ass, pulling her hips closer and flexing her thigh between Courtney’s legs.

Her head dropping, Courtney rocked against the pressure, trying to gain any sort of friction. Willam’s collarbone was glistening with sweat, and Courtney ran her tongue over the skin, hearing the other woman moan softly for the first time. The sound made her eyes flutter shut, and she tucked her face into Willam’s neck, layering kisses over the side slowly.

“Fuck, Courtney,” Willam breathed.

Hearing Willam utter her name like some kind of desperate prayer was more than enough to spur her on, her hips rocking faster against Willam. Fingers dug into her ass, encouraging her movements, Willam’s thigh hot and slick underneath her.

She couldn’t stop the whimpers now, vibrating against Willam’s skin as her mouth dragged over her throat. The tension continued to build up in Courtney’s abdomen, and when Willam turned her head slightly to murmur in her ear, she clenched uselessly around nothing.

“Look at you,” Willam said, her voice breathy. “You wanted this so bad, didn’t you?” Her lips grazed the shell of Courtney’s ear. “In the dressing room today? In the kitchen?”

Courtney nodded, feeling her face flush. She was so close, her clit practically throbbing against the pressure of Willam’s leg.

“Where else?” she asked.

Moaning, Courtney pressed her face closer to Willam’s neck.

“Tell me,” Willam said.

“The car,” Courtney managed to gasp, her words muffled. “In the car, I wanted to… _oh, god_.”

She nearly went limp as Willam snaked a hand underneath her ass to slide two fingers inside her without warning.

“What did you want to do?”

“T-touch you,” Courtney stuttered, her walls clenching as she rocked back onto Willam’s fingers. “Pull up the bottom of your dress, and… and…”

“ _Fuck_ me?” Willam finished, her breath hot on Courtney’s cheek.

“Yes,” Courtney groaned, pressing her lips to Willam’s neck. “ _Fuck me_.”

Willam chuckled quietly.

“I am, kitten.”

She curled her fingers inside of Courtney as she spoke, and that was it. Courtney’s breath caught as her climax hit her, hips bucking against Willam as she dissolved into a mix of whimpers and curses mumbled into the other woman’s skin.

Willam was there with gentle hands rubbing over her back as her body went soft, her breathing still unsteady. Courtney wanted to let herself enjoy this, just for a moment, to sink into Willam completely and forget all the reasons why she shouldn’t.

She kissed the underside of Willam’s jaw, and the other woman shifted slightly beneath her. Wondering at the reaction, Courtney parted her lips, and licked slowly up the side of her throat. Willam let out a shaky exhale, her nails digging into Courtney’s shoulder blades.

Hiding her smile in the dip of Willam’s collarbone, Courtney resolved to make her moan again, and in as many ways as possible.

Courtney pushed herself up from Willam and began to pepper small kisses across her chest before sucking one of her hardened nipples into her mouth. She rolled it gently between her teeth, and Willam groaned, her back arching off of the chair at Courtney’s attention.

Hoping to elicit the same sound again, Courtney brought her hand up to cup Willam’s other breast, tugging the nipple between her fingers. The moan was quieter this time, more of an exhaled _oh_ than anything else, and Courtney could’ve listened to it over and over again.

Sliding down lower still, she placed kisses across Willam’s stomach, devoting extra time to the patch of supple skin directly below her bellybutton. It was the only spot on Willam’s abs that wasn’t just flat muscle under skin, and when Courtney dug her teeth into the softness, Willam actually whined, high-pitched and perfect.  

By the time Courtney moved on, nipping lightly at the front of Willam’s hip, Willam was practically squirming, much to Courtney’s satisfaction.

She could tell that Willam was silently willing her to just get on with it already, and as much as she wanted to, she was enjoying the shift of power too much to give Willam what she wanted just yet.

Willam had put her through hell this past week, and she needed to hear her beg for it.

“Courtney,” Willam half whined, her hands sliding through Courtney’s hair and pulling it away from her face.

“Hmm?” Courtney hummed, her lips brushing over the inside of Willam’s thigh.

She looked up, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she saw the bite marks darkening on Willam’s abs. Willam was a sinful vision, panting heavily, her eyes wild and her hair even more tousled than usual.

“C’mon, just…” Willam started, trailing off and letting out another moan as Courtney pressed open mouthed kisses closer and closer to her center.

“Did you want something?” Courtney asked, resting her cheek against Willam’s thigh.

“You know what I want, you bitch,” Willam panted.

“Oh, insulting me,” Courtney said. “Very persuasive.”

She leaned in closer, one hand holding Willam’s hips down as she wriggled impatiently. It struck her that Willam had probably wanted her this whole time, probably as much as she’d wanted Willam – maybe even more.

“Ugh, fuck you.” Willam tugged on her hair desperately.

“How long have you known?” Courtney asked. She rubbed her thumbs teasingly over the fronts of Willam’s hips, waited for an answer.

“What… what are you talking about?”

“That you wanted me like this?”

“Courtney…” Willam practically groaned her name, her hips rising under Courtney’s hands.

“Between your thighs,” Courtney continued, fully aware that she was close enough to drive Willam crazy with her breath alone. “Teasing you, making you beg.”

“Do I sound like I’m – _fuck_ – like I’m begging?”

“How long?”

She lightly placed a singular kiss over Willam’s clit, and the other woman gasped for air.

“Since I met you,” Willam finally choked out, her hands pawing at Courtney’s hair. “Fuck, Court, have you seen yourself?”

Willam’s admission shifted the power even further, and Courtney couldn’t help but feel victorious, squeezing her own thighs together at the desperate note in Willam’s voice.

“Knew it,” Courtney murmured. “You’ve been trying to _seduce_ me this whole time, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” Willam exhaled.

The entire situation was so scandalous, from the huge diamond Dave had put on Willam’s finger to the fact that they were currently fucking in broad daylight next to the pool that he’d also paid for. Willam was so wet that Courtney’s head was spinning, and Courtney loved that the other woman was getting off on this just as much as she was.

“Want your mouth, Courtney,” Willam said, drawing out the last syllable of her name.

“Say please.”

There was a pause, and Courtney looked up to see Willam biting her lower lip.

“Please,” she murmured, apparently giving in. “Please – _oh_!”

Willam cut herself off with a high-pitched moan as Courtney finally leaned in, lapping slowly over Willam’s folds.

Her nose brushed against Willam's shaven skin as she diligently buried herself between her legs, and she moved one hand from Willam’s hip to grip her thigh instead, wanting to feel it flex under her palm.

Courtney knew what she was doing, and she could tell from the whimpers and moans hanging heavily in the air that it wasn’t going to take much. She wanted nothing more than for Willam to come on her tongue, to shudder and scream and fall apart just from her mouth on her heat.

There was something incredibly arousing about how Willam spread her legs so shamelessly for Courtney, watching her with hooded lids as she sealed her lips around Willam’s clit. She sucked, tongue flattening against the bundle of nerves, and Willam tossed her head back, whimpers dripping from her lips like honey.

Gripping Willam’s thigh more tightly in an attempt to hold her steady, she moved her other hand down to push a finger into her. She glanced up to see Willam watching her again, her lower lip pulled between her teeth, gaze so intense and heated that Courtney could feel it shoot straight down between her legs.

Courtney added a second finger, starting to pump them inside of Willam, and was suddenly thankful for the relative seclusion that the backyard provided. There likely wouldn’t be anyone within earshot to hear Willam’s strangled sobs as her hips bucked into Courtney’s relentless tongue and fingers.

Willam was absolutely gone, her eyes squeezed shut, hand so tight in Courtney’s hair that it hurt. Courtney watched her as much as she could, wanting to commit the sight of her full chest heaving to memory. The fading afternoon sun lit up her skin, her hair practically glowing, nipple still glistening faintly with Courtney’s spit.

She was entirely at Courtney’s mercy, and the thought made Courtney giddy, her fierce competitive streak taking over.

She worked a third finger inside, nipping lightly at Willam’s clit, and Willam nearly screamed, back arching, clenching repeatedly around Courtney’s fingers as she came.

Once the tension left Willam’s body, Courtney withdrew her fingers, sucking them into her own mouth for a moment and leaning up on her elbows. She heard Willam laugh, and glanced up, confused.

“Come back up here,” Willam said, a slow smile spreading over her face.

Crawling up the chair again, Courtney settled on her side with her leg draped over Willam’s, keeping herself propped up with one hand. Willam’s fingers tucked under her chin, pulling her closer.

“You’re all messy,” she explained amusedly.

Courtney raised her hand to wipe off her mouth, but before she could, Willam was leaning in and licking up her own wetness from Courtney’s chin. Cupping Courtney’s face with her free hand, Willam pulled her into a lazy, messy kiss.

“All better,” Willam said, seeming satisfied with herself. Her smile reached her eyes, making them almost sparkle, and Courtney smiled back despite herself.

Courtney wanted to kiss her again, just because, but then she remembered that this was Willam, and that finding her this adorable was a disaster waiting to happen.

“I still hate you, just for the record,” Courtney mumbled, resting her head on Willam’s shoulder.

Willam chuckled, started to run her fingers gently through Courtney’s hair.

“I know, princess.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miss Bianca’s A/N: We did it again, folks! Another week, another chapter - this time with more plot. For those of you who don’t know and are interested, jazz and I have tags on both of our blogs for things that remind us of this fic. Also, @alaskasthrone made an absolutely fantastic Spotify playlist for this fic, which jazz and I love, so definitely check that out for a soundtrack. As always, tell us what you think - here or through either of our blogs on Tumblr.
> 
> jazz’s A/N: More sexual tension! More denial!! More drama!!! Also, thank you x a million to everyone who’s been invested in this fic, it means the world to us <3

“Courtney!” Willam’s voice filtered up the stairs, and Courtney groaned, rolling onto her side.

“Courtney, c’mere!”

Sighing, Courtney kicked off her comforter, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment longer as she adjusted to the soft light filtering into her bedroom. She begrudgingly slid out of bed, running a hand through her messy hair and shuffling over to the doorway.

“What?” she yelled back.

“Just come down!”

Courtney leaned against the wall, debating. She could stay in her room and ignore Willam, which was very tempting. But the other woman would just keep calling her, and potentially come up and bother her, if she didn’t go down. As Courtney had learned, avoiding Willam was impossible.  

She grabbed her phone, heading down to find Willam lying on her back on the plush rug in the big, open foyer. Her hair was spread out under her, she wasn’t wearing pants, and she looked slightly pouty.

“What is it?” Courtney demanded, stifling a yawn and leaning against the banister. “What on earth are you doing?”

“Oh, hi!” Willam kicked her legs, smiling up at Courtney. “Nothing. Cute pajamas.”

“Willam!”

“I love those little shorts,” Willam added. “Turn around, I wanna see your butt.”

“I was asleep!”

“I was bored,” Willam said with a shrug, patting the floor next to her. “Come sit.”

“No!” Courtney crossed her arms. She wasn’t usually grumpy in the mornings, but Willam was especially skilled at irritating her.

“Ugh, you’re the worst.” Willam rolled her eyes.

She stretched her arms over her head, and the shirt she was wearing rode up her waist. Courtney spotted the hickey she’d left below Willam’s bellybutton, and couldn’t help remembering how Willam’s skin had tasted, crushed between her teeth. She swallowed.

Willam hooked her fingers under the hem of the shirt, tugging it up a few inches higher and shifting her hips so her abs flexed invitingly. Realizing what Willam was doing, Courtney managed to shake herself out of her trance, her gaze drifting up to Willam’s face.

“Sure you don’t wanna sit down, kitten?” Willam’s smile was mischievous now, and as her hand moved over her chest, Courtney recognized the pattern of her shirt.

“Wait a second,” Courtney said. “That’s my shirt.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Why the hell are you wearing my shirt?” Courtney griped, her voice still thick with sleep.

“It’s comfy,” Willam said, as if it was no big deal. “What, you want it back?”

“Yes!”

“Come take it off me, then.”

Willam’s smile had gone from playful to dangerous, and she straightened one of her legs, laying it flat against the floor and dragging her fingernails slowly over her bare thigh. Courtney wanted to replace Willam’s hand with hers, scratch up the smooth tanned skin and snap the waistband of her panties against her hip.

“Oh my god,” Courtney exhaled, looking up at the ceiling. “Stop that, it’s too early for this.”

“Come on, Court,” Willam said, half whining, her pout reappearing. “You know you want to.”

“It’s not gonna happen,” Courtney insisted, rubbing her eyes. “Can I go back to bed?”

“No. Come sit with me.”

“I’m not gonna sit with you,” Courtney said, turning to go back upstairs.

“I’ll tell Dave I’m worried that we’re not _connecting_ ,” Willam called, and Courtney stopped. “Get him to send us out on another girls’ shopping trip, or maybe to the spa this time. That would be fun, hmm?”

Sighing, Courtney spun back around. She could handle sitting next to Willam on the floor for awhile if her only alternative was another excursion with her to god knows where.

She dropped down next to Willam, cross legged, stifling another yawn. Almost immediately, Willam’s hand was on her knee, rubbing gently.

“I’m gonna need you to _not_ , Willam.”

“Stop being so uptight,” Willam complained, her hand returning to her stomach.

“Stop seducing me,” Courtney retorted.

“See, I would,” Willam said. “But I have this thing where I cross lines that I probably shouldn't. It’s like, my brand, or whatever.”

“Oh, my god, do you know how dumb that sounds?”

“Also, nobody eats pussy _that_ enthusiastically without wanting to do it again,” Willam added, ignoring her. “I’m not stupid, Court.”

“We’re not talking about this.”

“Okay, let’s talk about how you’re blushing again.”

“Shut up!”

“No. It’s cute.”

Courtney groaned, her head in her hands. Willam was right, she was blushing, as usual. It was hard not to, when the other woman took every opportunity to fluster and proposition her.

“Look,” she said. “How about we just pretend that it… never happened?”

“I don’t wanna.”

“Why?” Courtney demanded, annoyed.

“Because I didn’t get to eat you out.”

“Willam!” Courtney exclaimed, folding her arms protectively over her stomach, as if somehow, Willam might notice how heat was pooling there. “You have to stop! This is wrong on so many levels. You’re engaged.”

Willam slid off her ring, letting it fall onto the carpet carelessly.

“Not right now,” she said, smirking.

“You’re engaged _to my father_.”

“So what?”

“You’re impossible,” Courtney muttered, shaking her head. “I’m going back to bed.”

“Can I come?”

“No!” Courtney insisted. She stood up, tugging her shorts down to cover more of her thighs. “I got it out of my system, Willam. It was a one-time thing.”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it,” Willam retorted.

“Just let it go,” Courtney said, turning around and starting to walk towards the stairs.

“Wait!” Willam said. “Here’s your shirt.”

Her eyes widening, Courtney looked over her shoulder to see Willam propping herself up on one elbow, now entirely naked aside from her panties. Courtney’s shirt was in her outstretched hand, and she was sporting a satisfied smile.

It took everything in her not to give in again, chuck off her tank top and cover Willam’s body with hers. Images from only days ago flashed through her mind, memories of Willam moaning and tugging her hair and kissing her until she didn’t know which way was up.

But Courtney was responsible. She had self-control.

Snatching the shirt out of Willam’s hand, she strode up the stairs, resisting the urge to look back and get a bird’s eye view of her father’s fiancee spread out nearly naked on the carpet.

“Those shorts really do look great on you,” Willam called after her. “They’d look better on the floor, though.”

Courtney ignored her, rolling her eyes and suppressing a smile.

-

The more Courtney tried to keep Willam off of her mind, the more difficult it became. Their relationship had been like a game since the beginning, and Willam was still playing to win – which, to her, seemed to mean being able to fuck Courtney whenever she felt like it.

Courtney, for her part, wasn’t entirely sure she was capable of continuing to play.

After another encounter downstairs, this time in her father’s presence, a frazzled Courtney had resorted to taking a cold shower, cliched as it was. Willam had quite literally been breathing down her neck, resulting in her body reacting in all sorts of ways that it shouldn’t have been.

She’d been preparing dessert in advance, or trying to, with Dave sitting at the bar and reading a newspaper. Apparently deciding that the way she was cutting the peaches wasn’t efficient, Willam had come up behind her to demonstrate, her chest pressing to Courtney’s back and hands covering hers.

Courtney shuddered, and turned the water colder.

She could still taste peach juice from the slice Willam had fed her, watching her lips hungrily, before licking off her own fingers.

Dave, meanwhile, had been delighted that the two were finally getting along, completely oblivious to the fact that Courtney was crumbling from the inside out.

Huffing irritably, Courtney turned the water off. Whoever had claimed that cold showers worked was a liar.

She wrapped a fluffy towel around her body, wet hair plastered to her neck, and wondered at what point she’d become someone who resorted to standing under a stream of freezing water in an effort to squelch the not-so-appropriate thoughts she was having about her father’s fiancee.

A few weeks ago, her largest concern was whether or not her luggage would be overweight on her way to Los Angeles. Now, as Courtney moisturized her face, she couldn’t believe such a time ever existed –  when she wasn’t envisioning the curve of Willam’s calves in her Louboutins and repeating the pet names the other woman kept calling her over and over in her mind.

Courtney needed to get a grip, and fast.

She flicked on her hair dryer, and stared at herself in the mirror, hoping that if she kept herself firmly fixed in reality, the ghost sensations of Willam’s body pressed against hers might go away.

She had no such luck. It was like her brain was permanently trapped in a feedback loop, replaying whatever encounter had happened most recently until it drove her insane. Courtney could only hope that, with time and _space_ , she’d be able to kick this phase that she was clearly going through.

She set the dryer down, fluffing her hair. Letting the towel slide partially off her body, clutched against her chest with one hand, she opened the bathroom door.

As soon as she stepped back into her room, Courtney was greeted by the sight of Willam in a thin camisole and yoga pants, sitting cross legged on the floor in front of her closet and humming absentmindedly. She nearly dropped her towel.

“What the hell?” she exclaimed, trying and failing to wrap the towel more tightly around herself again. Willam looked up at her.

“Just putting some crap in your closet,” Willam said nonchalantly, picking up a shoe by the ankle strap. “Don’t let me interrupt you.”

“Interrupt me doing what?” Courtney demanded.

“I dunno, getting dressed,” Willam said, shrugging. “Or not. I don’t know what you do in your spare time.”

“Get out of my room!”

Willam rolled her eyes, and leaned back on her hands, giving Courtney a look.

“Alright, well, at least look away,” Courtney said, doing her best to sound scandalized. “I’m naked!”

“It’s nothing I haven’t seen before, girl.”

“Willam! I told you, we’re not talking about that.” She shifted uncomfortably, goosebumps rising on her skin.

“You look kinda cold,” Willam observed, tilting her head to the side.

Courtney watched helplessly as Willam stood, starting to close the gap in between the two of them slowly.

“Uh, maybe a little,” she managed to say, her eyes wandering to fix momentarily on the sway of Willam’s hips.

She wanted to move backwards, cover herself up, yell and curse at Willam to get out, but the words wouldn’t come. Immobilized, she wet her lips, trying to figure out what she was supposed to be feeling in this moment.

Willam was in her space now, and both the air and her towel felt much too thin. The space between them was heated, and even though Courtney might’ve been a tiny bit cold before, she definitely wasn’t anymore.

The look on Willam’s face was still surprisingly innocent, and Courtney was positive that it was a mask for something else. Willam parted her lips slightly, her hands brushing over Courtney’s arms and making her shiver again. A small smile was forming in the corner of Willam’s mouth, and her gaze traveled down Courtney’s neck to her chest, where she was still clutching the towel desperately.

“Lemme take that,” Willam said, her voice just a breathy murmur. She rested a hand on top of Courtney’s, her fingers cool on Courtney’s heated skin.

“I…” Courtney started, and Willam tugged lightly on the towel.

“I just wanna warm you up, sweetheart,” Willam said, her eyes flicking up to meet Courtney’s.

And there was the seduction, hiding under the innocence – the slight quirk to her lips, the bedroom eyes. The pet name. Courtney’s grip loosened, and the towel slid from her hands.

Willam caught it and cloaked it around Courtney’s shoulders, using her hold on the towel to pull Courtney ever so slightly closer. She was even more exposed than before, but Willam was so close now that it almost didn’t matter, their noses nearly brushing together.

“See?” Willam whispered. “Isn’t that better?”

Her lungs refusing to work, Courtney gave a small nod. Willam tilted her head, her breath ghosting over Courtney’s lips, and Courtney was relatively sure that the only thing keeping her on her feet right now was the hold Willam had on her.

Willam was intoxicating, and she smelled like sex and coconut, and it was impossible to resist her like this.

If it weren’t for Dave’s booming voice calling out for Willam down the hall, Courtney probably would’ve given in.

“Willam! Come and look at this!”

Courtney could feel Willam’s little huff of frustration against her lips, and then the other woman was backing away slightly, one finger playing with one of Courtney’s blonde curls.

“Duty calls, kitten,” she murmured, her tone almost wistful. “You know where to find me.”

With one last playful tug of Courtney’s hair, she spun around, and headed for the doorway. Courtney deflated, her body already missing Willam’s closeness, her electrifying touch.

“Coming, honey!”

The door slammed shut behind Willam, and Courtney collapsed back onto her bed, her head spinning.

Sleep wouldn’t come easy for her tonight, she could already tell. There was heat pooling low in her abdomen, and she was flustered all over again, still slightly weak from the sheer sexual tension that Willam managed to create with every movement.

Not bothering to get dressed, Courtney turned off the overhead lights and flicked on her nightlight. Attempting to tuck herself into bed, she lay there with the blankets pulled up to her chin for mere moments, before kicking them off of her completely. She felt hot and restless and uptight, and it was all Willam’s fault.

Despite her protests, Courtney wanted Willam back in her room desperately. She wanted her pressed close and invading her personal space, wanted her lips against her skin or whispering in her ear, and she despised Willam for making her want it, making her crazy.

She knew that her pride would never let her seek Willam out, but for a moment, she wondered what might happen if she did.

She imagined Willam sneaking back into her room, quiet and alluring, shedding her clothes at the foot of the bed and crawling up Courtney’s body slowly, breath leaving a trail of goosebumps up Courtney’s bare chest.

The thought made Courtney ache, and she couldn’t help running her own hand over her chest, tracing the path with light fingertips. Willam’s mouth would feel so much better, on her stomach, her ribs, her nipples. Palming her own breast, she bit her lip, letting her eyes fall shut.

Willam would keep her quiet, catching Courtney’s soft moans with her tongue pressed against Courtney’s teeth. Or, better yet, she’d tell her to keep quiet like a good girl, demanding it from her in a husky whisper, lips grazing across Courtney’s earlobe.

And Courtney could be good, if Willam wanted her to. She whimpered quietly, pinching her nipple between her thumb and forefinger.

She wouldn’t make much noise, but Willam would kiss her dizzy at the slightest sound anyway, pull on her hair and nip at her lower lip and make it even harder not to moan. She’d dig her hands into Courtney’s hips roughly, kiss her neck and leave marks like before, only darker and spreading down to her chest this time.

And when Willam finally settled herself in between Courtney’s legs, she’d have to stuff Courtney’s mouth with three fingers just to keep her from crying out.

Courtney snaked a hand down her body, her thighs spreading instinctively, and dipped her fingers into the wetness pooling at her entrance, dragging it up to rub around her clit. A quiet groan escaped her lips, back arching.

She was so wet that it was embarrassing, and she thought Willam might mock her for it as she touched her, fingertips teasing over her hole as she called her princess or sweetheart and laughed quietly into her neck.

Courtney wanted to whine at the thought, and she could feel her face getting hot. Pressing two fingers inside herself easily, she struggled to catch her breath, squeezing her eyes shut.

With the way Willam ran her mouth regularly, Courtney knew that she’d be skilled with her tongue. She’d open her up, have her writhing and whimpering on the sheets, grabbing fistfuls of the Egyptian cotton in a hopeless attempt to maintain some kind of control.

Willam was a tease in conversation, and Courtney was sure that she’d be the same way in bed, difficult and stubborn. She forced herself to slow her movements down, sliding her fingers out of her clenching channel and back up to play with her clit instead. She’d never been particularly good at self-restraint, being used to getting what she wanted quickly, but the idea of Willam teasing her mercilessly with her tongue until she was on the edge of tears drove her wild with arousal.

Or maybe Willam would let her come, and then keep going. Hold Courtney’s jerking hips down with one hand and press three fingers into her with the other, spreading her open, tongue still hot on Courtney’s over-sensitive bundle of nerves.

Courtney rubbed herself more frantically now, every muscle in her body tensing up. She felt the familiar coiling in the space between her hips, and Willam’s voice echoed in her head.

_“Come for me, kitten.”_

Her head snapped back against the pillows, and she bit down on her fist as lights flashed behind her eyes, her orgasm rushing through her and leaving her a sticky, shuddering mess.

As her breathing started to even out, Courtney slid her hand back up her torso, sucking her fingers into her mouth lazily. She could already feel her eyelids getting heavy, comfortable warmth spreading through her body and a small smile on her lips.

She thought of Willam as she fell asleep, soft skin pressed close and cool fingers tracing her collarbone, light as air.

-

Courtney woke up the next morning – bordering on the afternoon – with the distinct feeling that she’d made a terrible mistake. It took her brain a few moments to catch up with her body.

“Oh my god,” Courtney breathed.

It all came flooding back to her then, the realization hitting her like a ton of bricks.

She pulled the covers up over her head, ashamed of her lack of control. What had she been thinking? How could she have become so desperate that she’d lost herself in fantasies about Willam and gotten off on them?

Courtney wanted to curl into a ball and disappear. Clearly, she was more hopeless than she’d originally thought. She had no idea how she was going to face Willam now, with all the things she’d imagined her doing the night before.

She couldn’t stay in bed forever, though. Eventually, Courtney knew she’d have to put on a brave face and step back into reality, look Willam in the eyes knowing full well that she’d pictured her face buried between her thighs.

Courtney figured she might as well just get it over with. Slipping on a robe, she made her way down the hall, resolving to brew herself a cup of coffee and interact with Willam as little as was humanly possible.

Of course, the first thing Courtney heard as she walked downstairs was Willam’s music playing from the kitchen. Groaning, she rubbed her forehead, already dreading the impending confrontation.

“Jesus Christ, can you fucking turn that down?” Courtney exclaimed as she walked through the archway into the kitchen.

Willam, who was lounging on a stool at the bar, made a face before lowering the volume.

“Damn, what crawled up your ass last night?”

“N-Nothing!” Courtney caught herself starting to stammer, and shut her mouth, striding around Willam to the coffee maker.

“You sure about that, princess?”

Courtney clenched her hands into fists momentarily, before opening the cupboard with a lot more aggression than was probably necessary and grabbing a mug at random. What was that rule she’d been taught as a child? If she didn’t have anything nice to say, she might as well say nothing at all.

“Don’t break that,” Willam said. “It’s Tiffany, and I haven’t even used it yet.”

Taking a deep breath, Courtney put the mug back, and grabbed a different one.

“Ooh, she’s petty,” Willam commented.

Trying her best to forget that Willam was behind her, Courtney continued to go through the motions, appreciating how the coffee maker nearly drowned out the hip hop music.

“Can you make me some?” Willam asked loudly.

Courtney rolled her eyes, and continued to ignore Willam.

“Rude.”

There was a pause, and Courtney shut off the coffee maker.

“Why aren’t you talking back?” Willam wondered out loud. “Was it something I said? Something I did?”

Closing her eyes, Courtney huffed out a sigh.

“Are you still upset that I had to run out on you like that last night?” Courtney swore she could hear the smirk in Willam’s tone. “You know, we can pick up right where we left off. You just gotta take off that robe, and we’re in business.”

The idea of Willam cornering her against the sink, untying her robe and pushing it open, sent a flash of heat straight down to her core. Furious at herself, she spun around, glaring at Willam.

“You know this is borderline sexual harassment, right?” she demanded angrily, her voice coming out louder than she intended. “I told you to stop!”

Willam’s lips parted, and a quick range of emotions flashed over her face, from surprise to alarm to a confused expression that seemed slightly hurt.

“Court, I…” Willam just stared at her for a moment, before shaking her head. “I wouldn’t have… I thought you, um…”

“Well, you thought wrong,” Courtney snapped. She poured the coffee with shaky hands. “I'm not fucking interested.”

Picking up the mug, she walked back around the bar and towards the stairs, not wanting to stay in the kitchen any longer. Willam was still silent, and when Courtney glanced at her briefly on her way past, she could see the slight crease in Willam’s brow, the uncharacteristic softness of her eyes.

“I-I’m sorry,” Willam said quietly behind her.

Courtney’s breath caught, and she nearly stopped walking. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she continued, taking the steps as quickly as was possible with her coffee mug in hand.

As soon as she reached the upstairs landing, the guilt hit her like a train.

Willam had no idea of what Courtney had spent her night doing, and without that context, Courtney had practically gone from nearly giving in and kissing her again to claiming harassment overnight.

And the fact that Willam had dropped the seductive act and genuinely apologized, just because Courtney had overreacted and accused her of something she wasn’t even guilty of, made Courtney feel even worse.

Aware that the damage had already been done, she took a scalding sip of her drink and retreated to her room, her chest tight.

She’d already lost half of the day to sleeping in. At this point, she didn’t see much of a reason to do anything productive, and leaving the relative safety of her room seemed like an invitation for disaster.

Courtney did everything she could think of to distract herself. She rearranged the photos on her wall, and unpacked the remainder of her clothes. She sat in her chair and checked every social media platform she knew of, multiple times, and lay on her stomach on her bed watching Netflix, too preoccupied to pay even the slightest bit of attention.

She stripped her bed bare, just to remake it with fresh sheets. When the sun started to set, she changed out of her robe and into pajamas, in hopes that it might make her feel better, cleaner.

It didn’t. When Courtney stared in her mirror, she was still the same girl she’d been earlier, taking her anger at herself out on someone else. Only now, the guilt was weighing more heavily, contorting her face into something ugly.

Eventually, Courtney found herself perched on the edge of her bed, frustrated and fidgety. She knew she needed to apologize to Willam, but she was stubborn, and, if she were being totally honest, a little bit scared.

She’d been avoiding her closet, knowing full well it’d be the opposite of a distraction. It was practically bursting with reminders of Willam, from her shoes to her lingerie to the stupid fur coat Courtney still hadn’t been able to lose for longer than 6 hours.

With a sigh, Courtney walked over to it and slid open the doors. As she rifled through the hanging clothes, she could hear the front door open and slam shut again, the sounds of her father coming home late from work.

It was a Wednesday, which meant he’d be leaving again soon for his office’s weekly night out - their destination probably a strip club or something similar. His footsteps came up the stairs, assumedly heading towards his office.

Making a split second decision, Courtney grabbed the fur coat out of her closet and opened her bedroom door. Returning Willam’s clothes was a good excuse to go talk to her, and she figured she’d probably have a few minutes to apologize, with Dave nearby as a buffer if necessary.

She was padding down the hallway in bare feet towards the master bedroom when she heard her father’s raised voice spilling out from behind the partially open door, and she slowed to listen.

“What do you mean, you _lost_ it?” Dave was saying.

“I didn’t lose it, I left it on the kitchen counter,” Willam said, her voice far quieter. She didn’t sound like herself, and it made Courtney anxious.

“Oh, you left it there, did you?”

“Yeah, I –”

“And did you leave your brain down there, too?” His voice turned cold, and Courtney’s stomach lurched. “No, wait, you’d have to _have_ a brain to lose it.”

“Dave –”

“Do you have any idea how much that ring cost?”

Courtney took a small step closer, tilting her head and peering through the doorway to see her father standing at his full height and glaring. Willam wasn’t visible.

“Do you?” he demanded. “No? Well, let me give you a hint. That ring cost more than all your stupid shoes put together, and more than you’ve made in your entire life.”

He stepped forward, out of Courtney’s line of vision.

“And it’s definitely worth a hell of a lot more than you are.”  

Flinching, Courtney listened helplessly, silently willing Willam to fight back, to say something, anything.

“I’ve given you everything you own, and you think you have the right to be careless with it?” He was practically yelling now, and the tone of his voice was familiar enough to trigger very unpleasant memories in Courtney’s mind. “You were whoring yourself out at a cheap bar when I met you, and you’d still fucking be there if I hadn’t taken a liking to you!”

Willam murmured something that Courtney couldn’t hear.

“Yeah, a bartender, sure,” Dave said spitefully. “I’m sure every bartender trades blowjobs for tips, huh?”

Courtney’s blood was boiling. She’d started to think that maybe her father had changed since she’d last seen him, but that obviously wasn’t the case: it seemed that he was worse than ever.

“I have to leave, the taxi’s nearly here,” Dave said, his voice still cold and venomous. “I don’t ever want to see that ring off your finger again, unless I take it off myself. And believe me, you don’t want that to happen.”

Her eyes widening, Courtney glanced around, trying to figure out where to hide when her father left the bedroom. There was an empty guest room behind her, the door slightly ajar, and she slipped inside.

Courtney waited with bated breath as Dave’s heavy, quick footsteps passed. She tentatively poked her head out into the hall, assuring that the coast was clear, before gingerly approaching the master bedroom.

Pausing at the doorway, she clutched the fur coat tighter to her chest. For a moment, she contemplated just walking away, figuring there was always the possibility that her presence would only make things worse. But then, she heard Willam take a shaky breath, and she bit the bullet and rapped on the doorframe lightly instead.

“What is it?” Willam sounded younger than Courtney had ever heard her, and she pushed open the door, stepping inside hesitantly.

Willam wasn’t looking at her. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, arms wrapped loosely around herself, staring almost vacantly into space. The strap of the black negligee she was wearing was sliding off her shoulder, and despite her heavy makeup, she looked so small that Courtney thought she could probably pick her up and hold her like a child.

Walking over to her slowly, Courtney set the coat down beside her. After a moment, she hopped up on the high bed as well, the fur forming a divider between them.

“You shouldn’t let him talk to you like that,” she said finally, looking down at her hands.

“Why not?” For once, there was no edge to Willam’s voice, no glint in her eyes. “He’s right.”

“He’s not, though,” Courtney replied.

Willam let out a short, humorless laugh.

“And how do you know that?” she asked rhetorically.

“I just do. You deserve better.”

“Oh, get off your high horse,” Willam said. “I know exactly what you think of me, Court, and it’s not all that much better than what your father thinks of me.”

“Willam, I…”

“It’s fine,” Willam said, shaking her head slightly. “I’m used to it.”

“You shouldn’t be,” Courtney said, reaching for Willam instinctively and then thinking better of it, her hand dropping to rest on the fur coat between them. “You’re a human being, Will. Not a possession, or a punching bag, or a blow-up sex doll, or whatever else he’s trying to turn you into.”

“He had a bad day,” Willam said, her voice small.

“Don’t make excuses for him,” Courtney objected. “He’s been having bad days and taking out his anger on the woman in his bedroom for as long as I’ve been alive.”

Willam looked at her for the first time, a hint of curiosity on her face.

“I didn’t mean to do it, too, though,” Courtney added.

“Didn’t mean to do what?”

“What I said earlier, in the kitchen,” Courtney said, taking her time. “I didn’t mean it, but I think I did exactly what he does.”

Willam stared at her for a moment, her expression unreadable, before looking down at her feet.

“That’s why I’m here, actually,” Courtney continued. “I wanted to apologize.”

“For what?”

“For snapping at you.” Courtney closed her eyes momentarily. “For playing the victim, and making you think you’d read all the signs wrong, when you didn’t.”

“Oh,” Willam said. When Courtney glanced over at her, the corners of her eyes were crinkled slightly, the beginnings of a small smile in her upper lip.

“I don’t know you that well,” Courtney said. “And I’m not even sure that I like you very much.”

The smile widened, and Willam looked over at her again.

“But I do know that you’re smart,” Courtney said seriously. “And independent. And charming, when you want to be.”

Willam nodded slightly, crossing her legs at the ankles and swinging her feet a little.

“And you’re definitely worth more than a fucking shiny rock,” Courtney finished, biting out the last words. “No matter how big and fancy looking it is.”

Lifting her hand from her lap, Willam rested it on top of Courtney’s where it lay on the coat. Courtney nearly jumped, her gaze darting up to meet Willam’s. The spark that had been missing from Willam’s eyes was returning, her smile soft and the farthest thing from dangerous.

After a long moment, they pulled their hands away simultaneously, noticing the palpable shift in the mood. Willam cleared her throat.

“I should probably go get that dumb rock, before I forget,” Willam said.

“And I should probably leave your bedroom,” Courtney added, rubbing the back of her neck.

Sliding off the bed, Willam got to her feet, tugging down the hem of her negligee. Courtney hopped down as well, and before she could leave, Willam was pressing the fur coat into her arms.

“Um, goodnight,” Courtney said, awkwardly hugging the coat to her chest and heading for the door.

“Goodnight, Courtney.”

It wasn’t until Courtney had returned to her bedroom that she remembered the coat wasn’t hers, and that the whole reason she’d gone to visit Willam in the first place was to take it back. The other woman had managed to get it into Courtney’s room again, without even having to do the work herself.

She hung it back up in her closet with a slightly exasperated smile on her face, discovering that she didn’t really mind at all.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miss Bianca’s A/N: A day late this week, but we’re back back back again! In this installment, we have a guest appearance by one Miss Alaska Thunderfuck, as well as more sexual tension. What more could you want, right? As always, please let us know what you think - here, or through our blogs, @willamdelrio and @artificial-jazz.
> 
> jazz’s A/N: I’m having so much fun. Like, too much fun. Things are starting to really heat up, y’all ;)))

The following morning, Courtney couldn’t shake the feeling that things had changed, possibly irreversibly.

She sat on the patio, legs curled underneath her, and twirled the small piece of cardstock between her fingers. Glancing down, she read over the words scrawled on the back in Willam’s messy handwriting for what felt like the hundredth time.

_Thanks for last night. You’re not the worst, I guess._

_WILLAM_

_P.S. Dave’s gonna be at work most of the day. I’ll be back at 2. It’s a great day for tanning ;)_

Even though the note she’d found slid under her door that morning was hardly new to her – in fact, she probably could’ve recited it from memory without a hitch – Courtney’s heart skipped a beat anyway as she reread the last sentence.

She’d woken up to an empty house, with her father gone for work and no sign of Willam, something she actually found herself disappointed by. After finally having a real, heart-to-heart conversation with the other woman the night before, Courtney had started to consider that Willam might not actually be the devil incarnate.

That realization scared her, just a little bit. After all, it was much more difficult to resist Willam now that she’d revealed herself to be an actual human being, rather than a succubus set on dragging Courtney down with her.

Flipping the note over, Courtney couldn’t help the amused smile from creeping across her face. Willam had chosen to write her message on one of Dave’s business cards, and then metaphorically sealed it with a kiss – a pink lipstick print right in the center of his company logo, giving the note a sense of reckless, playful irony that Courtney had come to associate with Willam.

With a sigh, Courtney set the card down on the table, absentmindedly running a fingertip over the lipstick print as she stared at the pool. It _was_ a nice day for tanning. Naked. Preferably, in the same chair.

Courtney bit her lip. Maybe they could go skinny dipping.

Willam would probably splash her, laughing, and try to push her over, getting dramatically offended when Courtney splashed her back. Then, maybe she’d tackle her, and they’d end up against the edge of the pool, with their slippery bodies fit close together like puzzle pieces.

And Courtney would kiss the saltwater off her lips and mess up her hair with wet hands, until Willam was gasping for air and leaving scratch marks on her back.

The longer she thought about it, the less opposed Courtney was to the idea.

She glanced down at the business card again, and her stomach clenched uncomfortably as she read her father’s name embossed on the front.

Yet again, Courtney found herself wondering how on earth she’d managed to end up in a situation like this. What were the chances? Her father had been dating women much too young for him all throughout Courtney’s high school years, and despite her awareness of her sexuality, she’d never been the slightest bit attracted to any of them.

Enter Willam: not necessarily any prettier than the others, and distinctly harder to get along with. But, for some reason, gifted with charisma, magnetism, and a distaste for clothing that made her nearly impossible to resist. On top of that, she wanted Courtney back, and badly.

And of course, she had to be the one that Dave had decided to _marry._

It was a tough pill to swallow.

Courtney was tempted to ignore the context and be waiting naked by the pool when Willam got home – but she knew doing that would likely come back to bite her in the ass, and she didn’t think that was something she was prepared to deal with.

With a sudden pang of guilt, Courtney realized that she hadn’t updated Alaska on the whole Willam situation since the fateful Santa Monica shopping trip. She hadn’t even told her that they’d slept together.

Or, now, that she was seriously considering doing it again.

Taking a deep breath, she unlocked her phone and opened her messages. She figured she might as well just bite the bullet and do it.

_To: Alaska THUNDERFUCK - 12:26 PM:_

_So. I may or may not have had sex with my dad’s fiancee last week._

_To: Alaska THUNDERFUCK - 12:27 AM:_

_And I think I wanna do it again…_

It didn’t take long for the read receipt to appear, and there was only a moment of radio silence before the typing bubble popped up.

_From: Alaska THUNDERFUCK - 12:28 AM:_

_I’m coming over._

Courtney grinned down at her screen. Alaska only lived a short 15-minute drive away, and Courtney was sure that she’d tossed herself into the front seat of her car and floored it soon after reading Courtney’s message. Everyone needed a friend like Alaska, Courtney thought. She’d been close with the other girl since middle school, and she counted herself lucky.

Alaska arrived in record time, somehow still managing to maintain her effortless _coolness_ , stepping out of her car without a hair out of place to drape her arms around Courtney in a brief hug.  

“Girl, you look like crap,” Alaska observed, her hands on Courtney’s shoulders as she held her at arm’s length. “Am I really supposed to believe you just got laid?”

Courtney whipped her head to the side to scan her surroundings, as if her father or Willam might suddenly appear and overhear their conversation.

She pulled Alaska roughly inside by the hand, back into the relative safety of the house. As soon as the door closed, Courtney crumpled onto one of the ottomans in the foyer, burying her face in her palms.

“Courtney…”

The ottoman sank a little under Courtney, and an arm slid around her waist.

“Am I the worst?” she grieved, her voice muffled by her hands.

“I mean, maybe,” Alaska said slowly. “But I love you anyway.”

“I think about her _all the time_ , Alaska,” Courtney groaned. “All the fucking time.”

“Was the sex that good?”  

Courtney lifted her head from her hands and looked over at Alaska, her eyes hard and humorless.

“Seriously?” Alaska raised her eyebrows.

“In a word, yes.”

Alaska nodded, processed the information. Her hand rubbed Courtney’s hip absentmindedly, gaze on the ceiling.

“Tell me what to do,” Courtney whined impatiently. “Tell me it’s wrong, and I shouldn’t.”

“I’m not your keeper, Courtney,” Alaska mused.

She tossed her head back in frustration. “She’s just so…”

“Yeah, so you’ve said.” Alaska nodded. “Can you, like, fill me in on what exactly happened?” She pinched Courtney’s ribcage and gave her a small smile, prodding her.

“Well, I told you she was clearly trying to seduce me,” Courtney started. “But it got even worse after that, and she insisted on sharing changing rooms, and, I mean, you’ve seen that picture of her, so having to look at all of that naked right in front of you is just, I mean, it’s very overwhelming, and…”

Courtney paused, out of breath, and glanced over to see an amused and slightly indulgent half-smile on Alaska’s face.

“To cut a long story short, basically,” she continued. “When we got home, Willam decided she was going to tan by the pool entirely naked.”

“And you just jumped her?” Alaska laughed.

“Well, no, not exactly.”

Alaska raised an eyebrow.

“But, I guess the end result was the same,” Courtney admitted.

“You fucked her? Right there?”

“Technically, she fucked me,” Courtney said. “And then I went down on her, and she was – I mean, it was –”

“You can stop there, Court.”

Courtney bit the inside of her cheek, hands glued to her lap. She could picture it all too well: the way Willam’s lips had parted at the sensation of Courtney’s tongue on her skin, the pretty arch to her back as it vaulted automatically away from the lounge chair. She dug her fingernails into her palms now, hard enough to leave little crescent imprints.  

“Does this make me, like, an adulteress?” she whispered.

Alaska snickered. “It makes you _screwed_.”

Courtney rested her head on her friend’s shoulder, a few blonde curls falling haphazardly in front of her face. “Well, shit.”

They sat like that for a few moments, in comfortable silence.

“What happens if your dad finds out?” Alaska ventured.

“He wouldn’t,” Courtney spat, her pulse quickening at the thought. “He won’t.”

There was a pause, and then Alaska spoke again.

“So I guess reconnecting with him isn’t working out so well, then.”

“Understatement of the century,” Courtney scoffed.

“He hasn’t changed?”

“Oh, he has,” Courtney said. “He’s _worse._ ”

Alaska looked at her sharply, scrutinizing her.

“Worse,” she echoed, clearly prompting Courtney to elaborate. When Courtney only sighed, she continued. “Has he said something to you, or yelled at you?”

“Not at me, no,” Courtney said, biting her lower lip.

“Willam?”

Courtney nodded, and looked down at her hands.

As she recalled Willam’s vulnerability the night before, something akin to compassion for her bubbled up in Courtney’s chest, and she pursed her lips, pushing the feeling back down.

“Is she… okay?”

Courtney swallowed and thought for a moment, resolving not to divulge their emotional exchange from last night to Alaska. She’d just look at Courtney, see right through her and _know_ , and Courtney didn’t feel like explaining herself – not that she even knew how, or what, to explain.

“She’s tough,” Courtney said finally.

“Why is she marrying him?” Alaska wondered aloud, and Courtney shook her head slightly.

“Money, I think.”

“Mmmm.”

“It’s not worth it,” Courtney added. It felt important, somehow, to say it out loud. “I know him. And it’s not worth it.”

“Well, maybe it is for her,” Alaska said slowly. “You and I don’t exactly have an objective perspective on money, Court.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Courtney insisted. “It’s not worth it, if you’re miserable.”

Alaska sighed, and fell silent, her hand running over Courtney’s arm.

Her eyes closing momentarily, Courtney tried to picture Willam ten or twenty years in the future, perched on the master bed with a smile plastered to her face, just another household luxury purchased and set out to collect dust. Suddenly, Courtney didn’t feel all that up for chatting.

Courtney was startled out of her thoughts by the telltale sound of Willam’s Jeep pulling up in the driveway.

“Shit, what time is it?” she muttered, sitting up straight. “She wasn’t supposed to be back till two.”

“It’s like a quarter past one,” Alaska said, checking her phone. “She’s early.”

“Shit,” Courtney repeated.

“Well, I guess I’m meeting her.”

“Shit!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be cool.”

“It’s not you that I’m worried about,” Courtney mumbled.

The door swung open, and Willam shuffled inside, her arms laden with bags. Her cut-off crop top was sliding off one shoulder, denim skirt riding low on her hips, and Courtney had to marvel for a second at her ability to stay totally steady in her 5-inch Louboutin sneaker pumps.

“Oh,” Alaska murmured.

Willam glanced up, seeming to notice them for the first time.

“Princess,” she said, flashing a suggestive smile at Courtney.

Feeling her cheeks reddening under Willam and Alaska’s gazes, Courtney cleared her throat.

“Oh, hi, Courtney’s friend,” Willam added, wiggling her fingers. “I’m the slutty fiancée who’s ruining her life.”

“I’m familiar with the situation, yes,” Alaska said. “Lovely to meet you.”

“You’re back early,” Courtney offered weakly, desperate to redirect the conversation.

Willam let her bags fall to the floor carelessly and clapped her hands together, her smile widening.

“So you got my note!”

“You’re passing notes now?” Alaska mumbled in Courtney’s ear, sounding far too entertained. “How _romantic_.”

Ignoring Alaska, Courtney lightly traced the outline of the business card in her pocket, gave Willam a small nod. She was looking at Courtney in that way that made her want to squirm and squeeze her legs together, her eyes flicking down to where Courtney’s hand rested on her thigh.

Courtney curled her fingers, nails digging into her own skin, and Willam’s heated gaze traveled slowly back up over her chest. The tip of her tongue was poking out slightly between her teeth, and Courtney felt almost naked, convinced for a split second that her clothes had abandoned her of their own free will.

When they made eye contact again, Willam was smirking in satisfaction, and it took every ounce of self-control Courtney had not to spring up and grab her, kiss all of her lipstick off and mess up her hair.

“Sorry, I’m being a fuckin’ terrible host,” Willam said, directing her attention to Alaska now.

Courtney deflated, her lungs suddenly reminded of how to function.

“Wanna drink or something? You’re legal, right?”

“Of course,” Alaska said.

“Okay, I’m gonna put this crap in Courtney’s closet, and I’ll be down in a sec,” Willam said, scooping up her bags again. “I’m sure you know where the kitchen is.”

“I mean, I can make myself a drink,” Alaska called after Willam as she made her way upstairs. “You don’t have to worry about it.”

“You can,” Willam agreed, glancing over her shoulder. “But I didn’t tend bars for ten years for nothing.”

Alaska continued to watch Willam, wide-eyed, until she disappeared from view, and Courtney felt a slight pang of annoyance.

“Okay,” Alaska said, nodding. “I get it now.”

 _You don’t get it_ , Courtney wanted to reply, but bit her tongue instead.

“But, Court,” Alaska continued, turning to look at her. “ _Princess_?”

“Oh my god,” Courtney groaned. She stood up and walked towards the kitchen in an effort to stop that particular conversation before it even began.

“What else does she call you?” Alaska teased, following a few steps behind. “Sweetheart? Angel? Baby girl?”

“Try ‘kitten’,” Courtney said under her breath.

“Kitten?” Alaska exclaimed. “That’s…”

“Keep your voice down!”

“She’s something, isn’t she?” Alaska said, shaking her head, seemingly awestruck.

“That’s one way to put it, yeah.”  

Courtney took a seat on one of the barstools, pulling a leg close into her body. She found herself feeling slightly bothered by Alaska’s sudden affinity for Willam, and then berated herself for even noting it. But even still, the pet names were _their_ thing, and the words didn’t sound quite right coming out of Alaska’s mouth.

When Alaska made an offhand comment about Willam’s outfit, Courtney could only manage a disingenuous ‘ _mhmmm_ ’ in agreement, examining her cuticles with searing focus.

Willam loudly announced her return as she sauntered into the kitchen, passing right by Courtney to get to the fridge. The scent of her perfume washed over Courtney, making her almost lightheaded. Willam retrieved a few choice ingredients and laid them out on the counter, and she was humming, making Courtney want to scream at how relaxed she appeared to be.

Alaska laughed at nearly everything Willam said, her gaze remaining fixed on the other woman as she made the cocktails, and with every passing moment, Courtney felt herself growing more and more on edge.

When a mojito was placed in front of her, Courtney downed the first few sips greedily, not bothering to wait for Willam and Alaska to clink their glasses together. The scenario was much too strange for Courtney to not be at _least_ a little buzzed.

Unexpectedly, Willam and Alaska seemed to get along well. She should’ve been thankful that conversation flowed easily, with Willam and Alaska trading stories about hook-ups and bad decisions, but by the time she’d finished her second cocktail, Courtney was feeling more than a little bit left out.

Willam was leaning in towards Alaska as they talked across the bar, chewing lazily on her straw, and Courtney could practically see down the front of her shirt. She was laughing more than usual, clearly somewhat tipsy, and Courtney couldn’t stop staring at her, left with nothing else to do.

She’d spent ages wishing that Willam would leave her alone, but now that Willam finally seemed to be doing just that, Courtney couldn’t figure out how to stomach it.

She watched as Willam reached over to push a strand of Alaska’s hair out of her face, and clenched her hands into fists. Even though she knew that Alaska was only being friendly, and that Willam was probably just being Willam, it still stung more than Courtney cared to admit.

After seeing Willam flirt with someone else, Courtney couldn’t help but wonder if Willam’s interest in her was only circumstantial, a side effect of boredom and general horniness. Maybe she really was just that, a pastime to keep Willam occupied now that she didn’t need to work anymore.

It was nearly 3:30 in the afternoon by the time Alaska decided she should probably get back home, and Courtney had transitioned from sighing frequently and loudly to fully moping with her chin resting on her fists. Willam had refused to make her a third drink, and while she was aware that she wasn’t anywhere near drunk enough to justify being clingy, all she could think about was how badly she needed Willam’s attention on her again.

Alaska left after thanking Willam for the drinks and giving Courtney a tight hug, making her promise to text Alaska with updates. Courtney had given her friend a halfhearted smile, secretly grateful for her departure.

“I like her,” Willam announced once Alaska was gone, to no one in particular. She was leaning on the bar a little ways away from Courtney.

“Clearly.” Courtney fiddled with her straw, swirling ice around her otherwise empty glass.

“She’s cool.”

“I know,” Courtney snapped.

Willam narrowed her eyes, seeming to really look at Courtney for the first time since she’d walked in the door earlier that day.

“Damn, what’s up with you?”

“Oh, how nice of you to ask,” Courtney said sharply, rolling her eyes. “It’s not like I’ve been sitting here annoyed for the past two hours, or anything.”

“Wanna let me know what I did?”

“How fucking dense are you, Willam?”

There was a moment where Willam just stared at her, as if the answer might be hiding somewhere on her face – and then her expression shifted, recognition flooding her features.

“Oh,” she said. “You’re jealous.”

“I –” Courtney started, before shaking her head slightly and looking back down at her glass.

“You are!” Willam insisted, taking a step closer. “Don’t even try to deny it.”

“I just…”

Willam took the glass out of her hands, pushing it away and spinning the seat of the stool around so Courtney faced her. Her fingertips brushing over Courtney’s throat, she tilted her chin up, meeting her eyes.

“You don’t like it when I pay attention to someone else for a change,” she said, a small smile on her face. “You want me all to yourself, huh?”

“Willam…” Courtney exhaled.

“Say it.”

She was close enough that Courtney could’ve pulled her in by the belt loops of her skirt if she wanted to. She focused intently on the denim until her vision blurred, until Willam’s voice forced her to react.

“Say you want me,” Willam repeated, her voice softer now, fingers brushing over Courtney’s cheek and tucking her hair behind her ear.

“I do,” Courtney murmured, looking up at Willam again.

Willam cupped Courtney’s jaw, leaning in closer so Courtney couldn’t help but draw forward, desperate to close the gap between them.

“You don’t have to be jealous, kitten,” Willam said, her voice breathy. “Your friend is cute, but she’s not the one I want.”

“You said you liked her,” Courtney whispered.

“I like Kesha too, but that doesn’t mean I wanna fuck her.”

“You don’t?” Courtney lifted an eyebrow.

“Well… I mean…”

“Not helping your case here.”

“Shut up and let me kiss you,” Willam huffed.

“I would’ve let you kiss me two minutes ago,” Courtney said. “You’re the one who’s - _mmph_!”

Before she could finish her sentence, Willam’s lips were finally on hers again, parting immediately to deepen the kiss. Courtney spread her legs and hooked her fingers through Willam’s belt loops like she’d wanted to, pulling her in, chin tilting up as Willam stole all the air from her lungs.

Unlike the first time, there was no particular urgency to this kiss, just a slow warmth blooming in Courtney’s stomach as she tasted the lime and mint still lingering on Willam’s tongue.

Courtney moved her hands up over Willam’s hips to rest gently on her waist, reveling in the way Willam shivered slightly at her touch. The skin was warm and smooth under her palms, and Courtney’s mind was hazy, Willam’s mouth the only thing tethering her to the present.

Willam’s hands were cupping her face almost carefully, not so much holding her in place as keeping her grounded, thumbs pressing lightly into her cheekbones. Courtney traced her tongue over Willam’s teeth, the roof of her mouth, searching for hints of sweetness and liking what she found.

It wasn’t long before kissing wasn’t enough, and Courtney was hooking a leg around Willam’s waist to fully express what her lips couldn’t. In response, Willam slid a hand into her hair, winding her fingers in the strands.

Courtney felt dizzy and needy, and when Willam nipped at her bottom lip, she couldn’t help but whimper. Running her hands up Willam’s back, under her crop top, Courtney dug her nails into the soft skin below her shoulder blades.

Willam slid a free hand down to grope Courtney’s ass, pulling her closer. The new contact paired with Willam’s insistent tugging of her hair was making Courtney ache, the clothing they had on suddenly becoming a horrible inconvenience.

Tracing unsteady fingers over Willam’s bra strap, Courtney found the clasp, unhooking it without trouble and exploring the newly exposed skin eagerly. When she moved her hand over Willam’s ribs, palm sliding up to knead her breast under the bra, Willam gasped quietly, breaking the kiss.

Not bothering to lean in again, Courtney started to kiss the underside of Willam’s jaw instead, teasing her nipple with her thumb.

“Oh, fuck,” Willam groaned, back arching at Courtney’s touch.

Courtney hummed in reply, tongue tracing circles on the side of Willam’s neck. Willam’s nails dug into her ass, and she tightened her leg around the other woman’s waist, rocking her hips in search of some kind of friction.

“So we’re doing this now?” Willam exhaled.

“What, having second thoughts?” Courtney teased, her head lifting again so she could look at Willam.

“Not a chance, kitten.”

Before Courtney could respond, Willam was crashing their lips together again, kissing her almost roughly, like she wanted to leave bruises. Courtney whined despite herself, pinching Willam’s nipple sharply in return, and Willam pulled back.

“What happened to ‘I got you out of my system’?” Willam demanded, her voice raspy.

“I lied,” Courtney said breathlessly, leaning up to peck Willam’s lips. “I don’t think I _can_ get you out of my system.”

“Bet that drives you crazy.”

“You drive me crazy,” Courtney admitted.

“Right back at you, babe.”

Willam smiled, and Courtney found herself grinning back, the two of them just staring at each other for a moment. Then, Willam’s hand was tugging at the waistband of Courtney’s shorts, fingers working to undo the button, and Courtney was reminded of the sharp twinge of desire in her abdomen. Tilting her head up, she kissed Willam’s bottom lip, sucking it into her mouth.

All of Courtney’s attention was focused on Willam - the taste of her tongue, the weight of her breasts in her palm, the way Willam’s fingers were slipping teasingly past the waistband of her panties. It was like a sensory overload, rendering her brain utterly useless.

That was probably why she failed to process that her father was home until the front door slammed shut behind him.

After that, everything happened in quick succession. Within seconds, all contact was gone, and Willam was scurrying around the bar and over to the sink. Courtney gripped the counter behind her, heart pounding, and ran one hand hurriedly through her hair as she tried to gather her scattered thoughts.

“ _Lipstick!”_ she hissed at Willam, spinning herself around and resting her elbows on the counter.

Willam turned around, her eyes wide, and licked her thumb, trying to rub the smudges off from around her mouth.

“Come here!” she whispered loudly, and Willam moved back over to lean against the counter, letting Courtney fix it.

“Good?” Willam breathed.

“Yeah, me?”

Willam nodded quickly, before backing up to a safe distance just in time for Dave’s entrance.

“Girls!” He bellowed, arms outstretched.

Courtney thought she might pass out.

Her eyes fluttering shut momentarily, Willam seemed to take a deep breath before rounding the bar and hugging him briefly. She tried to pull away, but Dave’s hand slid down to squeeze her ass instead. Courtney stopped watching.

“Give me a kiss,” Dave said, and Courtney cringed. Then, “I need a drink.”

Willam moved back into Courtney’s view, walking towards the liquor cabinet with slightly shaky steps. Dave, of course, didn’t notice.

He leaned on the bar next to Courtney, and she replied to his attempts at conversation shortly, keeping her eyes on Willam as she poured his drink. Every bone in her body ached to reach out to Willam, pull her in and kiss her until the crease disappeared from her brow.

The reality that she couldn’t was enough to make her want to break something. Possibly something on her father’s body.

When Willam set his drink on the counter in front of him, Dave announced that he was headed to his office, and lumbered out of the kitchen without so much as a ‘thank you.’

The silence that followed his absence was heavy, and Courtney locked eyes with Willam, both of them wordlessly relieved.

“Come here,” she murmured, sliding off her stool, and Willam skirted the bar slowly, coming to a stop in front of her.

“Can I kiss you again?” Courtney asked, her hands resting on Willam’s shoulders.

A small, surprised smile crept across Willam’s face, and she nodded.

Leaning up, Courtney pressed their lips together, feeling Willam sigh. Her arms looped around Courtney’s waist, pulling her closer in what felt more like a hug than anything else.

Willam let Courtney kiss her for a few long moments, lips moving softly against hers without wanting or needing more.

“You didn’t have to ask,” she said, when Courtney pulled back for air.

“I know.”

There was a pause, and the corners of Willam’s eyes crinkled slightly.

“Thanks.”

“You’re cute,” Courtney said, biting her lip.

“ _You’re_ cute,” Willam mumbled.

Pulling her down, Courtney kissed her again, more deeply this time, one hand working its way into her hair. As if eager to wipe the past five minutes from her mind, Willam pressed Courtney back against the counter, crushing their bodies together more tightly.

“Willam!” Dave called out, his voice echoing loudly in the foyer.

Courtney groaned in frustration, dropping her head to rest on Willam’s shoulder. Willam sighed heavily.

“Hold that thought, okay?” Willam placed a kiss on the apple of Courtney’s cheek. “I’ll be right back.”

Needless to say, Willam didn’t come right back. Courtney stood with her arms resting on the bar until her feet got tired, and then walked through the foyer to the living room, pouting at no one in particular.

To say that patience wasn’t her strong suit was an understatement – and now that she’d finally given in and allowed herself to fully want Willam, waiting at all felt like a nightmare. They’d been so _close_ , Willam’s hand moving between her thighs, both of them just a little bit drunk on each other, and then Dave had ruined it. Twice.

She sank into a big armchair and crossed her arms, briefly considering whether a person could literally die from sexual frustration.

After another few minutes passed, she determined that, yes, it was entirely possible. And if Willam didn’t hurry up, Courtney might be six feet under by the time she finally returned downstairs.

As soon as Courtney heard the clicking of Willam’s heels, she sat up straighter, craning her neck to try to see through the archway into the foyer.

Willam spotted her and flashed her a smile, walking into the living room. She perched on the arm of Courtney’s chair, resting a hand on Courtney’s shoulder when she tried to get up.

“Willam…” Courtney started, looking up at her.

“Kitten,” Willam replied, imitating Courtney’s whiny tone of voice teasingly.

She started to run her fingers through Courtney’s hair, nails dragging across her scalp, her smoldering eyes scanning Courtney’s face before settling on her lips.

Courtney gripped Willam’s thigh, her teeth sinking into her lower lip as she waited for the other woman to do something, anything.

Willam smirked, letting the tension build for another few moments before sliding down into the chair and hiking up her skirt to straddle Courtney, the denim bunching around her waist.

“Took you long enough,” Courtney said, resting her hands on Willam’s hips.

“You just waited for me, didn’t you?” Willam’s fingers were still playing with Courtney’s hair, practically petting her.

“You left me hanging,” Courtney replied, leaning into her touch. “I couldn’t think about anything else. What was I supposed to do?”

“Fuck, you’re desperate.”

“Oh, and you’re not?”

“No, I am,” Willam said. “That’s why I’m about to let you fuck me in a room without a door, with my fiancé close enough to hear if I get too loud.”

Willam watched Courtney’s eyes widen with a smirk, beginning to roll her hips in a steady rhythm, slow enough to make Courtney squirm. Not for the first time, Courtney felt almost helpless, completely at the other woman’s mercy.

“Are you gonna touch me, or do I have to do everything myself?” Willam husked in her ear. “I took off my bra upstairs.”

Courtney’s hands snaked under Willam’s crop top and traveled up her stomach, running over bare skin and confirming what the other woman had told her. She kneaded the soft flesh, eliciting a breathy groan from Willam as she continued to rock against Courtney.

The urge to pull Willam’s shirt off and kiss down her chest was a strong one, but at this point, Courtney was practically expecting an interruption, and didn’t want to risk it. She satisfied herself with pressing open lips to Willam’s collarbone instead.

When Courtney dragged her tongue up the line of Willam’s throat, Willam’s thighs tightened around her legs. Courtney pressed in closer, sucking on her pulse point, and Willam shifted in her lap with a small moan.

She grabbed Courtney’s wrist, tugging her hand away from her chest insistently and guiding it down between her legs. Courtney exhaled shakily, her hand tucked under Willam’s skirt, fingers curling to rub her through her panties.

“Just like that, princess,” Willam coaxed her, voice breathy. “So good.”

Courtney squeezed her own thighs together, suppressing a whimper. Willam leaned down to kiss her, tongue pressing past her lips, one hand on Courtney’s jaw to keep her steady.

When the doorbell rang, chiming loudly throughout the house, Courtney was half-tempted to ignore it, mentally cursing her luck. She had more important matters to attend to, like the woman currently grinding against her hand and moaning softly into her mouth.

But then she heard footsteps upstairs, and she pulled back from the kiss with a grimace. Willam’s eyes were heavy-lidded and desperate, her lips kiss-swollen, and Courtney was positive that she’d never wanted anyone more.

“We’ll get caught,” she murmured.

Willam peeled herself reluctantly off of Courtney, wobbling as she stood and tugged her skirt down.

“I’ll get the door,” Courtney said, getting up as well. “You look… well, you know.”

Willam glared at her.

“It’s not like I’m happy about this, either,” Courtney said, pouting at Willam over her shoulder as she went to answer the door.

It was the hired chef, and Courtney cursed herself for not remembering that he'd be arriving. As soon as Courtney left him to get settled in the kitchen, Willam was behind her, wrapping her arms around Courtney’s waist and pressing kisses to the top of her shoulder. It took all of Courtney's willpower not to spin around and reciprocate.

“We can't,” she said in a hushed whisper. “Anyone could see or hear us.”

“So?” Willam's voice was practically a purr, and she arched her back, rubbing her chest against Courtney.

“So we can't!”

“But I want you,” Willam insisted. “C’mon, kitten.”

Her teeth dug into Courtney’s shoulder, and Courtney suppressed a moan, trying her hardest not to melt in Willam’s arms.

“Willam…”

“I don't care if someone hears.”

With effort, Courtney shrugged her off, hating how weak her knees were.

“Yes, you do.”

Willam sighed and rolled her eyes.

“I’m not gonna change my mind, Will,” Courtney said. “But it looks like it’ll to wait till later.”

“Fine.”

Willam darted in to steal a kiss before Courtney could stop her, and then she was turning on her heel and walking back into the kitchen, leaving Courtney alone in the foyer, brushing her fingers over her tingling lips.

The rest of the evening was agonizing. Courtney was unable to get more than a minute alone with Willam – barely enough time to talk, let alone continue what they’d started and restarted earlier.

Sitting across from her at dinner was even worse. She was tantalizingly close, her eyes drifting over to Courtney at every opportunity, toes sliding up Courtney’s bare legs to tease her.

By the time it was dark out, Courtney was wound so tight that she thought she might burst. After she’d finished eating, she retreated back to her room and hugged one of her pillows to her chest, trying to settle herself down.

 _“So we’re doing this now?”_ Willam’s voice rang in Courtney’s ears, and she squeezed the pillow tighter as the day’s experiences started to catch up with her. Her priorities had shifted so rapidly that it nearly gave her vertigo.

She was certain of what she wanted now, though, and she was tired of feeling guilty about it. A week ago, when she’d still been intent on reconnecting with her father, things might’ve been different. But now, Courtney really didn’t give a fuck.

And if she was honest with herself, knowing she’d passed on the opportunity to follow this thing with Willam through would probably be more painful in the long run than any of its potential consequences.

Throwing the pillow onto her bed, she yanked the bedroom door open, adrenaline coursing through her veins and emboldening her.

“Willam!” she called. “Come get your shit out of my closet!”

“Coming!” Willam called a few moments later.

Courtney’s stomach did a flip.

“Yeah, you will be,” she muttered.

Barely a minute had passed before Willam was slipping into her room, all wild hair and bright eyes.

“Close the door,” Courtney ordered, her gaze moving hungrily over Willam’s body.

Willam shut the door quietly, and Courtney surged forwards, pinning her against it and crashing their lips together impatiently. A surprised moan vibrated in Willam’s throat, and she ran her hands up Courtney’s back, clutching fistfuls of her shirt.

“So you want me to get my clothes out of your room?” Willam said when they paused for air.

“Yeah, but I’d rather get you out of the ones you’re in now,” Courtney murmured.

“Ooh, priorities,” Willam commented, and Courtney rolled her hips forwards, leaving Willam little room to move. “ _Fuck_ , Court.”

“Will you be mad if I tear this crop top?” Courtney breathed, tugging on the flimsy fabric.

“I got another one just like it hanging in your closet.”

Leaning in to kiss Willam again, Courtney tore the front of the shirt open with a satisfying _rip_ , silencing the other woman’s squeal of delight with her tongue.

The tattered material fell away from Willam’s chest, and then Courtney’s hands were all over her, eager and rough, desperate to explore every inch of skin.

“So, we’re doing this,” Willam panted, a glint in her eyes, her nails sinking into Courtney’s back.

“ _Fuck_ yes we are,” Courtney replied.

She pressed one more kiss to Willam’s lips, and dropped to her knees.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miss Bianca’s A/N: Okay, so we’re late again. But we have an excuse this time - this beast is 8.4k words, so just be grateful. Jazz and I call this part of the fic the week in paradise, so that gives you a general idea of what to expect. We really love this chapter, and we hope you do too. Please tell us what you think, either here, or at our blogs, @willamdelrio and @artificial-jazz.
> 
> jazz’s A/N: Fluff!!! And!! Smut!!!! My entire heart and soul departed from my body after this chapter, friends. Pls read & scream along with me <3

When Courtney was a little girl, there had been times when the huge, empty mansion had seemed like a wonderland. She’d explored every room, turned over every stone in the garden out back, created an entire universe for herself separate from the real world, like a little bubble where things were just how she wanted them.

In that universe, the whole house and everything in it belonged to her. Her parents were gone because they lived across the world doing important things, or because they’d been killed in a tragic accident, or maybe they didn’t even exist at all. Either way, they didn’t matter, because she was _just fine_ without them. And sometimes, when she stood at the top of the big staircase, her stuffed koala tucked under her arm, the empty rooms downstairs would seem like a whole kingdom to explore, instead of the lonely kind of empty.

Once Courtney had grown up a bit, the fantasy had died away to memories, unable to sustain itself, and she’d started hiding in her room or at Alaska’s house instead. There was no special feeling emanating throughout the empty mansion – just bad recollections of her parents’ arguments and dust in the corners.

Lately, though, Courtney had started to feel some of that magic again. Except this time around, it wasn’t exactly the house she was exploring, imagining to be her own.

With Dave gone on a week-long business trip and the hired chef on a break, the entire mansion belonged to Willam and Courtney. When the outside door was locked, the window shades drawn, no one could see them tangled together on the floor of the foyer, or the living room couch, or the table in the dining room. With the windows pulled shut, no one could hear Willam’s uninhibited moans, how perfect Courtney’s name sounded on her tongue.

And when Willam pressed her against the heap of pillows on her bed and kissed down her stomach, Courtney was a princess again.

-

The morning that Dave had taken a taxi to the airport, Courtney woke up to Willam sitting cross legged next to her on the mattress, naked but for her panties and staring intently at her phone screen.

“Willam?”

“Huh?” The other woman looked up and smiled, tossing her phone onto the bed. “Oh, you’re awake! Good.”

“I am now,” Courtney said, rubbing sleep out of her eyes and taking the opportunity to check Willam out. “Is there any particular reason why you’re in my bedroom?”

“Yeah, duh,” Willam said. Pushing herself up on her knees, she tugged the covers off of Courtney and swung a leg over to straddle her hips. “I’m here to bring you breakfast in bed.”

“What?” Courtney blinked up at her sleepily. “Where…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Willam pressed a finger to her lips.

“It’s me, princess. I’m breakfast.”

“Oh,” Courtney exhaled, her brain finally waking up.

Willam’s smirked, and she leaned down to press a quick kiss to Courtney’s lips before attaching her mouth to Courtney’s neck instead.

Willam’s nails scraped her ribs lightly as hands pushed up her shirt, and a gasp caught in Courtney’s throat when Willam bit down on the piece of skin she was sucking on. The sleepy haze clouding Courtney’s mind was quickly being replaced with arousal, and all she could think about was how badly she needed to touch Willam, pull her close and make her moan and drown in her.

“Is he gone?” she panted, grabbing Willam’s ass with both hands and pulling her hips closer.

“An hour ago,” Willam said. “Just you and me and all the time in the world.”

“Good.” Courtney closed her eyes momentarily, letting herself get caught up in Willam’s rough treatment of her neck and light fingers roaming her chest.

“Willam?”

“Mmm?”

“I think want you to sit on my face,” Courtney said.

Willam stopped, lifting her head and pushing herself up with one hand on Courtney’s sternum.

“You _think_?”

“Yeah.” Courtney nodded, taking in Willam’s dilated pupils. “Didn’t you say breakfast in bed?”

“Fuck,” Willam murmured, running a hand through her messy hair. “I’d kiss you, but… morning breath.”

“You can kiss me later,” Courtney said. “For now, you can take off your panties and come up here.”

“Yes ma’am,” Willam said, her tone teasing, an amused smile on her face. “Just warning you, though, it’s not my best angle.”

“Shut up, before I push you off the bed and go find some real food.”

“If you want me to shut up, this may not be the best idea,” Willam commented, climbing off of Courtney momentarily to slip her panties past her ankles.

“No, you’re fine when you moan,” Courtney replied, her hands running up Willam’s thighs as the other woman straddled her again, knees on either side of her head this time. “It’s just when you’re talking that I want to punch you in the face.”

“Cute, but not that original,” Willam said, and Courtney rolled her eyes, hands settling on her ass to pull her closer. “You’re gonna have to – _ooooh, fuck_!”

Willam’s snarky comments turned into a mix of moans and curses after that, thrusting against Courtney’s mouth, her hands clutching at her own breasts.

She came twice with raspy groans, pulsing and shuddering deliciously against Courtney’s tongue, and then moved away on shaky legs and collapsed onto her back, half-draped over Courtney’s stomach.

After a few minutes of heavy breathing, Willam rolled off of the bed and announced that she was going to make Courtney a proper breakfast: “Because you deserve it, goddamnit.”

She burnt the toast to a crisp, and ignored the eggs that Courtney wouldn’t have eaten anyway until they burned, too. But something about the sight of her, still naked and walking around the kitchen barefoot and humming, was so oddly endearing that Courtney didn’t mind in the slightest.

-

The second day of being home alone found them cooled down a bit, content to just sit nearby one another without the constant and overwhelming impulse to jump each other’s bones.

Most surprising, potentially, was that Courtney seemed to be learning to actually enjoy Willam’s company.

Courtney was curled up in the little breakfast nook near the kitchen, reading by the sunlight that slanted through the window, her elbow propped up on the pillows that lined the cushioned bench. Willam had music on, ‘90s R&B playing from her laptop, but not so loud that it was disturbing her.

Courtney had gotten through several chapters of the cheap romance novel she’d found in a pile of Willam’s magazines, but if you asked her what the book was about, she was relatively sure she wouldn’t be able to come up with an answer.

The only reason she was reading the book in the first place was to mock Willam for owning it, but she couldn’t find the focus to do even that.

Willam was perched on a stool by the island in the kitchen, doing something or other on her laptop, and her profile was distracting, to say the least. Courtney could hardly get through a full page before her eyes flicked up like clockwork to survey the slight pout on Willam’s lips, the curls of hair obscuring her sharp cheekbone.

She looked frustrated, Courtney thought, and she couldn’t stop herself from wondering what was on Willam’s mind.  

“Willam,” she said finally, tentative. “Do you need, um, help with something?”

Willam shook her head slightly, still focused on her screen. Biting her lip, Courtney looked down at the page she’d already reread twice.

From what Courtney had managed to process, the book was, in fact, terrible, just as she’d expected. She’d read books better written when she was still in elementary school, and the plot was so cliched that Courtney couldn’t even look at the back of the book without rolling her eyes. Not to mention how cringeworthy the brief sections of erotica were.

She glanced up at Willam again. The other woman hadn’t looked over at her once, at least not in the past half hour or so – something she knew, because she couldn’t keep her eyes off of Willam.

“I can’t believe you actually read this crap,” Courtney spoke up again, waving the book emphatically in the air in an attempt to catch Willam’s attention. “The author made me read the phrase ‘glistening spear’ with my own two eyes, more than once. And there’s no actual weaponry in the book.”

Willam groaned loudly into her keyboard.

“What?” Courtney demanded. “It’s just awful, like, there’s no way around it.”

“Court,” Willam said, finally looking over at her, one hand running through her hair. “Have you ever donated money to a charity online?”

Courtney stared at her for a moment, baffled.

“Um… not that I remember, no?” she offered slowly. “What does that have to do with…”

“Nothing,” Willam said, shaking her head. “It’s just that I can’t figure out how to donate with this credit card without it coming up on their site under your dad’s name.”

Tossing the book onto the table, Courtney scooted off the bench and walked over to stand next to Willam. She seemed to be filling out information, and for the first time, Courtney noticed the credit card on the counter next to her. The header at the top of the webpage read “Hope For Paws: Animal Rescue Organization,” and Courtney smiled, glancing sideways at Willam for a moment and wondering how she’d managed to be so wrong in all of her first impressions of her.

“Did he not get a card under your name?” she asked, and Willam shook her head. “Well, you could do it anonymously. Or you could use my card.”

“I wanna use his money, not yours,” Willam said.

“It’s all his money, Will.”

Willam sighed, her fingers tapping the keys absentmindedly.

“What made you want to do this right now, anyway?” Courtney asked.

“I just figured some of his money should go to people that actually deserve it,” Willam said, shrugging. “People who are, you know, smart enough to do some good.”

Something in Courtney’s heart broke just a little, and she draped her arms around Willam’s neck. “Well, I think it’s a lovely idea.”

Willam patted her arm, and shrugged her off, rolling her eyes. Despite her apparent exasperation, Courtney didn’t miss the small smile on her lips.  

“I’ll just do it anonymous, I guess,” she said. “How do I… oh, there it is.”

“He should’ve gotten you a card under your name,” Courtney said, shaking her head. “This is probably a big donation for them, and you should be recognized.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Willam said dismissively, flapping her hand. “I’m not doing this for my ego, or whatever you call it.”

“I didn’t think you were.”

Courtney leaned her arm on the counter, still unable to wipe the smile off her face as she looked at Willam.

“What are you grinning at?” Willam demanded, her tone playful.

“Nothing,” Courtney replied quickly. She focused on the computer screen again. “Why animals?”

“Love ‘em,” Willam said. “Mostly dogs, though. They’re kinda dumb, and loud sometimes, but they never wanna do anything except love you underneath it all. That’s why they’re better than people. You can’t trust people, not really.”

“Don’t people just wanna be loved, too?” Courtney asked, her chest feeling oddly tight. She searched for a way to bring the conversation back to somewhere less emotionally charged, less heavy. “Like Marco and his ‘glistening spear’, in that book, which is the only one you seem to own?”

“Oh my god, shut up,” Willam said, laughing despite herself. “I have other books.”

“Good, because I’m setting this one on fire the first chance I get.”

Willam flipped her off, a grin on her face, and Courtney returned to her seat, tucking her feet under her. She didn’t bother to pretend to read this time, settling for openly watching Willam instead. She was still smiling, and Courtney’s stomach felt strange, like nausea without the discomfort, or nerves without the fear that usually accompanied them.

“Hey,” she said.

“What do you want now?” Willam sighed dramatically.

“We should get a dog.”

“I asked already,” Willam said, her face drooping a little. “I found these St. Bernard puppies, and I wanted to get one. I even picked the one I wanted and everything.”

“And he said no?”

“He laughed in my face and called me stupid for suggesting it.”

Courtney clenched her hands into fists in her lap, and closed her eyes momentarily, letting the wave of anger pass. There were a million things she wanted to say, things like _how could he do that_ , or _as if we don’t have a yard big enough for a whole kennel_ , or _you deserve to marry someone who doesn’t call you stupid for being human_.

“Well, fuck him,” she said finally.

“I’d rather fuck you,” Willam replied, glancing over at Courtney.

“There’s nothing stopping you,” Courtney shot back after a brief, flustered moment. “This bench can seat two.”

Courtney patted the space next to her, smiled sweetly at Willam.

“And here I thought we were gonna go a whole morning without taking each other’s clothes off,” Willam commented, closing her laptop and looking Courtney up and down.

“We were,” Courtney said. “But that was before you mentioned fucking me.”

Willam smirked and hopped off her stool, making her way over to slide onto the bench next to Courtney, one hand running up her thigh.

“You just look real pretty with the sun behind you, kitten,” she said, her voice low and teasing.

“Not as pretty as you,” Courtney murmured, and Willam’s features softened.

The sunlight was lighting up Willam’s face now, her eyes a bright, beautiful blue, hair practically glowing. Courtney reached up to trail her fingers over Willam’s collarbone, feeling strangely wistful, and found herself wishing that her father would never come home, so she could keep that spark in Willam’s eyes forever.

But when Willam leaned in for a kiss, Courtney could feel her smile against her lips, and that was enough for now.

-

Willam had been taking full advantage of their relative isolation by not really wearing clothes since the day Dave left, choosing instead to wander around the mansion naked, or mostly so.

It wasn’t until that evening, though, that she’d seemed to realize that the empty house also presented an opportunity to show off all of the expensive lingerie she’d been collecting.

When the pizza they’d ordered had arrived, Willam had wandered back downstairs in a lacy red set, complete with a garter belt and heels, and Courtney had nearly dropped the box altogether. Needless to say, the pizza had gone cold by the time they got to it.

The third morning had started in a similar way, when Courtney had found Willam eating breakfast in a white satin push-up bra and matching thong.

Every time Courtney took a set off of her, Willam managed to find another to replace it before they saw each other next, keeping the sexual tension between them at a near-constant high.

At first, they mainly kept to the most commonly used rooms of the house, making out on the living room couch and in the kitchen, or in Courtney’s room if they wanted a bed – that is, until Courtney spotted Willam standing against the railing of the balcony at the top of the stairs in yet another lingerie set, looking down at her with a smirk on her face.

She took the stairs slowly, one at a time, her gaze focused Willam, trying to decide what exactly she wanted to do when she reached her.

Whatever plans Courtney might’ve had flew out the window as soon as she was close enough to smell Willam’s perfume, and she ended up pushing Willam against the railing, chest pressed to her back, one hand sliding down her abs and into her panties.

Willam’s moans were louder than usual echoing in the foyer, and the place they stood felt so exposed, as if there was no way that there wasn’t someone watching. When Courtney commented on it, lips next to Willam’s ear, fingers teasing her clit, she could feel Willam weaken in her arms, a whimper escaping her.

She made a note of that somewhere in the back of her mind, and after that, nowhere in the house was off-limits.

Willam, however, never ceased to surprise her.

Deciding to try to beat Willam at her own game, Courtney returned to her room early the fourth night, and picked out a pale pink lingerie set, with a bustier style bra that made her breasts look far bigger than they were. It was her favorite, one that she rarely wore, not wanting to make it seem less special.  

After posing in front of her mirror for a few minutes, tossing her hair this way and that, Courtney set out for the master bedroom, only to find the room empty. Retreating back down the hallway, slightly dejected, she noticed that the door to her father’s office was cracked open, warm light spilling out onto the floor.

“Willam?” she said, taking a hesitant step towards the doorway. Dave’s office was the one room in the house that she hadn’t been allowed to enter when she was younger, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever been inside.

“In here,” Willam called, and Courtney pushed the door open, stepping past the threshold and immediately losing her breath.

Willam was sitting in the giant leather chair behind the desk, her forearms laid on the armrests, bare legs crossed. The lingerie was mostly black tonight, lace over cream-colored fabric, and her hair was tousled, falling so perfectly over her shoulders that it looked as if she’d arranged it there. Her gaze was fixed on Courtney, and she looked relaxed and confident at the same time, as if the office and the chair and Courtney herself were her own, and always had been.

For a moment, Courtney was convinced she’d stepped into a scene from a porno.

“Come sit, kitten,” Willam said. It was a demand, not a suggestion, and Courtney squeezed her thighs together.

There was a chair in front of the desk, but Courtney passed it by, walking slowly around the desk to hop up on the varnished wood directly in front of Willam instead, crossing her legs and leaning back on her hands.

“Like this?” she asked softly. Her heart was threatening to burst right out of her chest, but she hoped that Willam couldn’t tell.

“Just like that,” Willam replied, her eyes moving over Courtney hungrily. “Uncross your legs.”

Courtney obeyed without thinking, and Willam slid forward on the chair, her hands resting on Courtney’s thighs. She spread them slowly, thumbs running up the insides, and Courtney gripped the edge of the desk so hard her knuckles turned white.

The backs of her legs were sticking to the wood, and Courtney felt flushed all over as Willam’s hands moved higher and higher.

“How do you like my office?” Willam asked, and Courtney’s gaze snapped up to meet hers.

“I, um…” Courtney’s voice was shaky as she tried to respond, and one of Willam’s thumbs traced the hem of her panties, sliding just underneath to brush over her folds.

“Why are you nervous, sweetheart?” Willam’s voice was so soft and lilting that Courtney couldn’t mistake the mockery in her tone. “Didn’t you get all dressed up just for me?”

Courtney’s eyes glazed over as she processed Willam’s words, took in her surroundings: the various framed certificates on the dark-paneled walls, the stacks of files and folders decorating the desk around her, the green curtains pulled shut over the windows. And Willam, still radiating confidence from the huge, expensive chair, her teasing touches making Courtney squirm helplessly.

Her father would never know that his fiancée had occupied his chair, her wetness seeping onto the aged leather, would never know how Courtney had spread her legs for her on the antique oak desk, panties soaking through until the whole room smelled like sex.

“Get up.”

Courtney hesitated, not entirely sure that her legs would support her if she tried to stand. After a moment, Willam’s nails sunk into the soft skin of her inner thigh, like a warning, and Courtney whimpered, slipping forwards off the desk and keeping her grip on the wood behind her as she stood.

“Now turn around for me, and bend over.”

Feeling wetness flood her panties at Willam’s words, Courtney turned around, resting her hands on the desk. The leather of the chair squeaked, and then Willam’s hands were sliding up the backs of her thighs, settling on the curve of Courtney’s ass.

She held her breath as she waited for Willam to make her next move, her whole body quivering from both the shock and the anticipation of the situation. She never would’ve thought, or at least admitted to herself, that any of this was something that she wanted, but somehow, Willam seemed to have known.

Willam hooked her fingers into the waistband of Courtney’s panties, tugging them down and letting them fall onto the floor. Her fingers traced light circles on the backs of Courtney’s thighs, moving between them to brush over her pussy momentarily.

Without warning, Willam pulled her hand away and brought it back down sharply against Courtney’s ass, propelling her forward on the desk with a squeal. She soothed the glowing skin with an open palm, her other hand coming up to cup Courtney’s core, fingertips rubbing over her clit.

“You’re so wet, kitten,” she murmured, kneading the sensitive skin she’d slapped now. “You like it when I’m rough with you, don’t you?”

Courtney couldn’t help but push back into her touch, flushing and biting down on her lip in an effort to stop any other embarrassing noises from escaping her. She could feel herself dripping onto Willam’s palm, and then two fingers were sliding inside her, and she was moaning, high pitched and needy.

Courtney was already on the brink of exploding, her body taut and her hands scrabbling to find purchase on the surface of the desk. Willam didn’t seem to notice, fucking Courtney slowly, as if she had all the time in the world, and scissoring her fingers inside to stretch Courtney open till she ached.

“W-Willam, please,” Courtney panted, rocking her hips back in an effort to make Willam speed up.

“Please _what_ , princess?”

She knew what she wanted to say – she wanted to beg Willam to go faster, to just let her finish already. But that wasn’t what came out.

“Do it again,” she gasped.

Courtney could practically feel Willam’s smirk boring into the back of her skull, as well as the gust of air before Willam’s hand made loud contact with her ass for the second time.

“Oh, god,” Courtney groaned, feeling herself clench as Willam rubbed her hand over the stinging skin.

Willam slid her fingers in deep, curling against that spot that made Courtney whimper. Her thumb swiped over Courtney’s throbbing clit roughly, once, twice, and that was it.

Her back arched, chest pressing against the desk, her climax knocking all the air out of her lungs, eyes screwed shut so tight she could see lights flashing behind her eyelids.

Willam coaxed her through it, still fucking her at a leisurely pace, her free hand resting on the desk as she leaned forwards to drop kisses on Courtney’s back.

Once the last of the aftershocks pulsed through her, Courtney propped herself up on her forearms, taking deep breaths. She glanced behind her to see Willam licking off her fingers, looking extremely satisfied with herself.

Courtney vowed to commit the sight to memory.

“Holy shit,” she muttered.

“You’re damn right,” Willam replied.

“We’re in my father’s office,” Courtney said slowly.

“Mmhm.”

“You just…”

“Yep.”

“And I…”

“And you, Miss Courtney Act, are exactly who I thought you were.”  

With effort, Courtney stood up on shaky legs, turning to face Willam and leaning back against the desk.

“And who is that, exactly?” she asked.

“A goddamn princess.”

-

It wasn’t until later, after they’d showered and gone back downstairs for drinks, that Courtney realized she hadn’t seen Willam wearing her engagement ring all day – or the day before, for that matter.

She didn’t comment on it, but she did take Willam’s hand on the counter once they were a little bit drunk, playing with her fingers and admiring how pretty they were without the huge diamond as a distraction. They fit almost perfectly with her own, she discovered. It made her laugh, her head pleasantly fuzzy as she stared down at their interlocked fingers on the counter.

There was a sparkle in Willam’s eyes as she let Courtney lift her hand and kiss it gently, and Courtney leaned across the bar to kiss her afterwards, wobbling slightly as she went up on her knees on the stool.

Courtney would’ve kept drinking Willam’s cocktails until she couldn’t even stand up, but the other woman made sure they stopped after three, explaining that she wasn’t going to ruin tomorrow with hangovers. No matter how Courtney pouted at her, she wouldn’t change her mind, and so Courtney pulled her back up the stairs and into her own bedroom, deciding that she was going to eat her out as a thank you for earlier.

As soon as she was horizontal, Courtney realized that maybe she was just a little bit more drunk than she’d previously thought. It was only minutes before she fell asleep instead, tucked under her covers with Willam pressed comfortingly against her back.

-

Courtney liked to run in the late mornings, before the rest of Los Angeles seemed to wake up, before the heat became so stifling that even the thought of exercise was unbearable.

Her feet slapped against the pavement to the rhythm of the music thumping through her headphones, sweating out the pent up energy – sexual or otherwise – that she’d built up over the course of the past few days.

Although it had been a relatively short time since Dave had left on his business trip, the days had been so filled with emotions and realizations and excitement that they’d felt far longer.

As she rounded the corner towards home, Courtney picked up her pace, picturing Willam waiting for her in the kitchen, looking up from her magazine to rake her gaze over Courtney’s body.

Instead, when she strode up the driveway and through the front door, Courtney was greeted almost immediately, Willam darting down the staircase to catch her.   

“We’re having a movie night,” Willam declared, a grin on her face.

Courtney stared at her for a moment, wiping sweat off her forehead with the back of her arm and trying to catch her breath.

“What, right now?”

“No,” Willam said slowly. “It’s like 11 in the morning, Court, are you stupid?”

“Uh… no?” Courtney offered. She bent over to untie the laces of her sneakers, stretching out her hamstrings in the process.

“I meant tonight,” Willam said. “Obviously.”

“Okay.”

“So, you down?”

“Does it matter whether I want to or not?”

“Nope!” Willam replied cheerfully, popping the ‘p’ and patting Courtney’s shoulder.

“Didn’t think so,” Courtney said.

“It’s gonna be fun, promise.”

Courtney laughed, shaking her head as she passed Willam on the stairs, mind set on taking a cool shower post-run. She had no doubt that a movie night _would_ be fun, in one way or another – but something about Willam’s delivery was just amusing.

Peeling off her damp clothing and stepping into her bathroom, Courtney left the door ajar, half hoping that Willam might follow her in, help her rinse off the remnants of her workout.

Despite the fact that she was thoroughly tired out from running, Courtney was sure she could handle some time on her knees in the shower, even if she had to hold Willam up. She hadn’t been able to go down on her the night before, since she’d fallen asleep, and she figured she owed Willam, big time.

Soon enough, though, Courtney resigned herself to the fact that Willam clearly wasn’t going to be joining her. Shutting her eyes, she let the water pour over her in waves, and wondered what Willam could possibly be doing that was more exciting than the opportunity to share a shower with her.

Once she left the bathroom, towel wrapped around her body, the answer presented itself quickly.

“Willam!” she yelled.

“What?” Willam’s voice filtered up the stairs.

“What did you do with my comforter?” Courtney stared at her bed, which was now bare of everything other than the bottom sheet. “And my pillows?”

“They’re down here!”

Throwing her hands up, Courtney shuffled over to her open door and leaned out into the hallway.

“Any particular reason?”

“Movie night!”

Courtney opened her mouth to reply, and then closed it, shaking her head. There was no point in trying to argue with Willam over this. When she made a decision or a plan, the other woman was truly single-minded about making it happen, as stubborn as a dog with a bone.

Courtney took her time getting dressed after her shower, music playing softly from her phone as she brushed her hair and then sat on the edge of her bed in her underwear and checked her Instagram. Since Willam obviously wasn’t in the right mind to pay attention to her, there was no rush.

When she finally did make her way back downstairs, Willam was nowhere to be found. As she wandered around the first floor searching for her, Courtney discovered her pillows and comforter in the living room, along with several other blankets and couch cushions, arranged into a slightly lopsided nest on the floor in front of the TV.

She had to admit that the whole set-up was kind of adorable. Willam had clearly made an effort to get it just right, and while the result was far from picture perfect, looking at it made Courtney want to flop down in the middle and stay there forever, which she supposed was what really mattered.

There was a torn up envelope on the coffee table, which had been pushed haphazardly to the side, so that Courtney nearly tripped over it on her way into the living room. On the envelope, Willam had scrawled a note letting Courtney know that she was ‘out,’ without any further explanation.

By the time Willam’s Jeep pulled back into the driveway, it was almost 5, and Courtney was sitting in the middle of the makeshift nest of pillows, both very bored and slightly annoyed about being left on her own for so long.

Willam’s apology came in the way of an armful of candies and snacks unloaded at Courtney’s feet, along with several bottles of soda, which Courtney scrambled to catch before they got shaken up too much.

“I didn’t know what shit was vegan, so…” Willam admitted. “I kinda got it all.”

“Jesus, did you clear out the entire snack aisle?” Courtney set the soda bottles down carefully against a pillow, and picked through the pile of bags.

“Like I said, kinda. Wanted to make sure I had at least some stuff you could eat.”

“No, you did good, Bill.” Courtney smiled, surprised at the thoughtful gesture. “Thanks.”

Willam shrugged, her hands clasped in front of her as she surveyed the living room, eyes darting around almost nervously. Courtney picked up on it and desperately wanted to pull Willam down into her, assure her that she loved all of it.

“Are you gonna join me, or do I get this whole blanket fort to myself?” Courtney tried.

Willam cracked a smile then, announcing that she wanted to change into something a little more comfortable first. Courtney raised an eyebrow, and Willam laughed.

“Not like that,” she insisted. “I’m just not gonna sit around in this skirt all night.”

True to Willam’s word, tonight’s definition of ‘comfortable’ didn’t involve anything lacy or provocative. She padded back into the living room barefoot, in loose gray sweatpants and a cut-off v-neck tank top that failed to hug her chest in the way Courtney had become accustomed to.

“I know, I know,” Willam said, catching Courtney staring. “This is the best I’ve ever looked.”

“It really is,” Courtney said, stifling a giggle but secretly meaning every word.

Rolling her eyes, Willam flopped down onto the blankets next to Courtney, reaching up to grab the remotes from the couch. She scrolled through the list of movies On Demand with a purpose, settling on Dirty Dancing, one Courtney had seen enough times that she probably had most of the script memorized.

With the lights dimmed, and the blueish glow of the television illuminating Willam’s face, Courtney found herself more focused on the woman eating Twizzlers next to her than on the movie playing on the flatscreen.

“Are you even _watching_?” Willam chastised.

“Yeah,” Courtney said. “You.”

Willam elbowed her, making her squeal quietly with laughter.

“I’ve seen it millions of times,” Courtney defended herself.

“I’ve never seen it.”

“Really?”

Willam shook her head, reaching around Courtney to grab a bottle of Coke.

“Well, what do you think?” Courtney watched Willam’s face closely, already knowing the answer. Willam had been fidgeting since the movie started, her eyes distant, and her boredom was obvious.

“It’s good,” Willam said.

“You sure?”

“I mean, it’s kinda boring,” Willam admitted after a moment. “And, like, I don’t get the hype.”

“Then why are we even watching it?” Courtney asked.

“I dunno,” Willam shrugged. “Isn’t this the kind of thing girls watch on movie nights?”

“Well, yes,” Courtney said. “But we don’t _have_ to.”

Willam was silent, staring at the screen and chewing on her lower lip. She fiddled with the remote, and Courtney resisted the impulse to take it from her and hold her hands instead.

“Okay,” Courtney said. “If you could watch anything right now, what would it be?”

“Uh… one of the Fast and Furious movies, probably,” Willam replied. “Maybe Kill Bill. Ooh, or X-Men.”

“I like X-Men,” Courtney offered with a small smile. “Turn this off, and pick one of those instead.”

“You sure?” Willam was looking at her hopefully, and she nodded.

Just a few minutes later, the opening credits of the first X-Men movie were rolling, and Willam had relaxed back into the pillows, her lips curled in a smile.

The time passed more quickly after that, and the two of them opened and picked through nearly every snack bag that Willam had dumped on the blankets. What space there was between them disappeared when Willam snatched the bag of chips Courtney was hoarding out of her lap, leaving Courtney no choice but to dive after it and try to wrestle it out of her grasp.

A compromise was reached quickly, with the bag sitting on Willam’s leg and Courtney tucked close against her side so both of them could reach it, the only casualties of the struggle being a few chips crushed on the blanket under them.

Once they’d worked their way through the entire original trilogy as well as one of the prequels, Willam adorably engaged the whole time and making comments that made Courtney choke on her food with laughter, Courtney grabbed for the remote and opened Netflix instead.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Willam asked, practically pouting.

“We’re watching Friends,” Courtney said, turning the volume down to a background noise level and selecting the title.

“Why?”

“Because I’ve had enough of fucking Magneto and Wolverine for one night,” Courtney replied. “And also, you’re not paying attention to me.”

“I –”

“No arguments.”

Just as Courtney had expected, the change of pace made Willam’s focus shift away from the screen and onto her neck, with Willam pressing kisses against her pulse point, behind her ear. She smiled in satisfaction, keeping her gaze fixed on the TV, deciding to give it a little while longer before she pulled Willam closer and kissed her back.

The nest of pillows and blankets proved to not only be comfortable for sitting, but also for making out, something that Willam demonstrated when she got tired of waiting for Courtney to reciprocate and straddled her lap to speed things up.

They kissed for what felt like hours, pausing every so often to pay attention to the TV for a few minutes or shift their position to something new. When Courtney’s favorite episode came on, she propped herself halfway up on the pillows, and Willam settled for kissing and biting at her neck for a while, Courtney’s fingers running through her hair and tugging every so often at a particularly harsh bite.

It had gotten late, and Courtney found herself yawning involuntarily and leaning into Willam, pleasantly sleepy and comfortable. The AC was still turned on high, and when Courtney shivered a little bit, Willam took the liberty of wrapping an especially soft blanket around the two of them, enfolding them in a cocoon of warmth and security.

Courtney thought she’d stay there forever, maybe. She tilted her chin up, placing a light kiss on Willam’s cheek and then her temple, next to where the corners of her eyes were crinkled as she smiled.

“This was a good idea,” Courtney murmured after a while.

“Yeah?” Willam glanced down at her, and she nodded, tucking her face into Willam’s neck.

“I kept second-guessing myself about it,” Willam admitted after a moment.

“Mmm?”

“Yeah,” Willam said, pausing for a second before continuing hesitantly. “I’ve, um… I’ve never done this before. Had, like, a girls’ night in, or whatever, I mean.”

“Really?” Courtney lifted her head slightly.

“I never really had anyone to do it with.” Willam’s voice was quiet, and Courtney rested her cheek on Willam’s shoulder again, running her fingertips lightly over the exposed skin between Willam’s shirt and sweatpants.

“Well,” she said after a few moments. “You do now.”

“Yeah,” Willam nodded. “And I get to make out with you, too.”

They kept on talking until they forgot they were tired, until the sheer exhaustion found them asleep on the floor together, on top of Courtney’s comforter, with stiff limbs and faces sore from smiling.

-

It was in the bathtub the next evening, as she lathered shampoo in Willam’s wet hair, that Courtney realized how comfortable she’d grown around Willam, how easy it felt to touch her and talk to her and be close to her.

With only one night left on their own, they’d taken over the bathroom adjacent to the master bedroom, filling the circular tub with bubbles and dimming the lights so the surface of the water reflected shades of warm gold.

Despite how big the tub was, Courtney was hesitant to leave more than a few inches between them, and judging by how Willam found ways to be touching her at all times, Courtney was sure that she wasn’t the only one. The happy bubble they’d been living in was going to pop soon, just like all the bubbles floating on the water around them, and the more Courtney tried not to think about it, the more conscious she was of what little time they had left.

Willam was uncharacteristically quiet, her hair soft under Courtney’s hands. Her shampoo smelled like coconut, and if Courtney closed her eyes and leaned in close, the scent wrapped her up and effectively distracted her, even if just for a few moments.

“You okay?” Willam spoke up, and Courtney opened her eyes.

“I couldn’t be better,” Courtney said honestly, and Willam turned her head slightly to look over her shoulder at her. “Are you okay?”

“I wish we had longer,” Willam said, with a small sigh, and Courtney nodded. “But right now, I’m good.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Willam smiled. “Really good.”

Courtney leaned forwards, tilting Willam’s chin further towards her with slippery fingers and kissing her chastely.

“You’re good to rinse it out now,” Courtney said. “Lean back.”

Willam slid forwards, tilting her head back and letting Courtney tug her farther under the water, running her fingers through her hair slowly to rinse out the shampoo.

After a little while, she lifted Willam’s head, encouraging her to sit up again. The other woman tossed her hair to the side, pulling it over one shoulder, and Courtney took the opportunity to run her hands over her back, loving how silky her skin was to the touch. Willam sighed, leaning back into Courtney slightly.

As she traced her fingers over the edges of Willam’s shoulder blade, Courtney noticed a small patch of uneven skin. Frowning, she looked more closely, and realized the spot was ever so slightly lighter than the surrounding area, a small paler circle on Willam’s tanned back.

“Hey, Willam?” she asked tentatively.

“Hmm?”

“What did this come from?” she tapped the spot with her thumb, and Willam’s shoulders flexed.

“Burn scar,” Willam said, as casually as if she were answering a question about the weather. “From the ex who used to put out his cigarettes on me. I used to have a crap ton, but they healed, I guess. Don’t know why that one won’t fade away completely.”

By some miracle, Courtney stopped herself from tensing up automatically, or gasping like she wanted to, managing to keep her hands relatively relaxed on Willam’s back.

“Oh,” she exhaled quietly, her eyes widening. “Why did you, um… why did you let him do that?”

“Didn’t matter, I guess,” Willam shrugged. “It’s not the worst thing a guy’s done to me, and I didn’t wanna get kicked out. I’m damaged goods anyway, so why worry about a couple scars?”

Courtney swallowed hard, and leaned down to press her lips gently to the small scar. Willam shivered, and Courtney wrapped her arms around the other woman’s waist, pulling her closer until Willam’s back was pressed to her chest, body resting between her legs.

“You’re not,” Courtney murmured, placing a soft kiss on the side of Willam’s neck.

“Not what?”

“Damaged goods.” Courtney kissed the spot just behind her jaw, then her earlobe.

“Yeah I am,” Willam said, and Courtney smoothed her palm over her abs under the water.

“No,” she insisted. “You’re a person, with needs and insecurities and soft spots just like everyone else.”

“Courtney…”

Pressing her face gently into the curve of Willam’s neck, Courtney wrapped her arms around Willam more tightly, gathering her up and holding her like she could make their bodies meld together if she tried hard enough.

“There is nothing about you that’s damaged, Will,” she said softly, closing her eyes.

Willam’s breathing was unsteady, and Courtney swore she could feel her heartbeat from where they were pressed together, rapid and fragile like a hummingbird’s.

“Why’re you so sweet to me?” Willam asked, her voice barely a whisper. “I can’t…”

“And you’re so beautiful,” Courtney continued, opening her eyes and starting to kiss Willam’s neck again. “Have I told you that?”

Willam shook her head, and Courtney could feel her swallow, hard.

“You’re so beautiful,” she repeated in a whisper, before parting her lips and dragging her tongue slowly up the line of Willam’s throat.

A quiet moan vibrated in Willam’s chest, and her nails dug into Courtney’s knee.

“Do you want me to touch you?” Courtney murmured the words with her mouth close to Willam’s ear, and the other woman nodded, a shiver running through her body.

Courtney slid her hands up Willam’s abs, cupping her breasts and kneading them gently, pressing slow kisses to the top of her shoulder now. More soft sounds escaped Willam’s lips, moans and sighs, and Courtney found herself captivated by how reactive Willam was to the lightest of touches.

“I love the noises you make when I touch you,” she mused, almost just thinking out loud. But when Willam squirmed a little bit against her in response, pushing her chest into Courtney’s hands, Courtney kept talking. “You’re so responsive, it makes me wanna have you like this all the time.”

Leaning up to kiss a spot on Willam’s neck, Courtney sucked the piece of skin into her mouth gently, all lips and tongue, fingers playing with her nipple. Willam whimpered breathily, her legs falling open to lay against Courtney’s, one hand coming up to rest over Courtney’s hand on her chest.

“Look at you,” Courtney sighed, sliding her palm down Willam’s abs. “If you could see yourself, when you’re like this, all soft and needy and beautiful…”

Her hand slipped between Willam’s thighs, ghosting over her folds and making her sigh. The skin was warm to the touch, from the hot water and the flush spreading down Willam’s chest.

“Court,” Willam murmured, her head falling back to rest on Courtney’s shoulder. “Princess… please.”

Courtney wanted to kiss her, but the angle was wrong. She settled for doing what Willam wanted instead, starting to rub gentle circles over her clit, ducking to press her lips to Willam’s collarbone.

“I love it when you call me that,” she admitted softly after a while.

Willam didn't respond, her breath catching, muscles starting to tense as Courtney’s fingers moved more quickly. Courtney wasn't sure Willam had even processed her words, with how her body was shuddering.

“Go on, love,” Courtney coaxed her. “Come for me.”

There was a moment when Willam went totally still, her back arching, and Courtney counted one, two, three of her own quick breaths. And then, Willam dissolved into moans and soft cries, hips rocking gently as she rode out her climax.

“So good, gorgeous,” Courtney murmured. “So, so good.”

She continued to talk in Willam’s ear as she came down, a quiet, almost reverent litany of praise and appreciation.

When the aftershocks stopped, Courtney wrapped her arms around Willam again, hugging her still trembling form from behind. There was a single tear rolling down Willam’s cheek, and she caught it with the tip of her tongue.

Willam turned her head, leaning to the side slightly so that she could capture Courtney’s lips with her own. The kiss was slow, and so sweet that Courtney felt butterflies swarming in her stomach.

“God, Court,” Willam exhaled unsteadily when they broke apart, settling back into Courtney’s arms. “You're really something.”

“So are you, beautiful.”

-

The last morning before Dave returned home was bittersweet, the two of them opting to stay hidden away in Courtney’s bedroom, twisted up in the sheets, until it was time to face reality.

Willam had spent the previous night there, neither of them even thinking to question it when she tucked herself under the covers and started to fall asleep before Courtney was even out of the bathroom.

“My bed’s lonely,” Willam had justified with a yawn, not that she’d needed to.

Now, morning was turning into afternoon, sunlight flooding the room and casting shapes across their naked bodies, slightly sweaty and sprawled across the messy bed together.

Courtney was on her side, head resting on Willam’s shoulder, Willam’s arm wrapped around her loosely. Their legs were tangled together, and there was a tangible reluctance to separate.  

“It’s hot,” Willam commented, her thumb running in slow circles on Courtney’s arm.

“Mmhm,” Courtney hummed. “We could take a shower.”

“We could,” Willam agreed.

The moments passed, and neither of them made any move to get up. Willam’s arm tightened around Courtney ever so slightly, and Courtney smiled.

“Remember when you hated me?” Courtney quipped, burrowing her head more closely against Willam’s neck.

Willam scoffed. “I never did, kitten.”

“Really?”

“That was all you,” Willam said. “I thought you were cute.”

“I thought I’d done something bad in a past life, and you were my punishment,” Courtney said, laughing.

“I still might be.”

“Oh, is that so?” Courtney poked her stomach teasingly.

“Stop!” Willam giggled, trying to push her hand away.

Grinning, Courtney poked her again, then danced her fingers over Willam’s ribs, eliciting another burst of laughter. Willam grabbed her wrist, trying to squirm away, and Courtney resisted, using their tangled legs to keep her still.

“Courtney!” Willam protested.

“I didn’t know you were ticklish,” Courtney said with a chuckle, struggling against Willam’s grip.

Willam huffed out a heavy breath, pushing back against her, and suddenly Courtney was on her back, her wrists pinned to the bed and Willam crouched on top of her.

“Bill!” she exclaimed indignantly. “I –”

Before she could continue, Willam was leaning down to kiss her, cutting her off in the middle of her sentence.

They kissed like they meant it, like they were short on time and air and about to be separated. And they were, Courtney realized. Reality was on a plane home, and the outside world was quickly catching up with them.

They had to make this count.

When the kiss finally ended, both of them were panting. Willam stayed hovering over Courtney, hands flexing on her wrists, her lips slightly pouty and swollen. There was an expression Courtney didn’t quite recognize on her face, and her eyes were searching Courtney’s features slowly, a strange mixture of sadness and curiosity.

“What’s up?” Courtney probed, wishing she could reach up to touch Willam. The question hung in the air for a few moments.

“Nothing,” Willam said finally, a slow smile spreading across her features. “I just… nothing.”

Willam’s gaze was intense and warm, and as the corners of her eyes crinkled with her smile, it was almost hard to look at her. Courtney could feel her cheeks getting pink, and she bit her lip. Whatever this was, it definitely wasn’t _nothing._

“Okay,” she said, letting it go.

Leaning down, Willam pressed one more soft kiss to Courtney’s lips. And then, she was releasing her wrists, collapsing comfortably with her head on Courtney’s chest.

Her fingers running through Willam’s hair, Courtney wondered if Willam could hear how her heartbeat was just a little bit faster than it probably should’ve been. Willam let out a sigh, cuddling closer and running her hand down Courtney’s side.

After a little while, Willam began to absentmindedly trace tiny shapes and spirals onto Courtney’s hip bone. Courtney closed her eyes, noticed that Willam had started to draw what felt like letters on her skin instead. She picked out a _W,_ and her lips parted slightly as the pattern repeated itself. _WILLAM._

They lay in silence for the time that was left, letting the sun warm their skin until it felt as if they were melting into each other, a pool of tanned skin and blonde hair on the sheets.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miss Bianca’s A/N: And we’re finally back. I missed jazz and our girls so much, y’all have no idea (or maybe you do, idk). Just a brief reminder that the Something Borrowed-inspired playlist made by @alaskasthrone exists, because we recently discovered that it’s been expanded since we last listened to it, and all the songs are still perfect. And, of course, you can always find us at @willamdelrio and @artificial-jazz.
> 
> jazz’s A/N: SO SO sorry for the delay with this chapter – real life got in the way a bit :((( Believe me, Miss Bianca & I missed writing this fic as much as you all missed reading it. Enjoy <3

Willam’s expression hardened the moment Dave’s voice boomed through the house, and Courtney felt her heart sink into her stomach. They were standing at the top of the stairs, holding hands, and Willam was wearing a full face of makeup and a tight skirt for the first time in what felt like forever. Impulsively, Courtney went up on her tiptoes, pressing a quick kiss to Willam’s cheekbone.

When Dave stepped into view, Willam dropped Courtney’s hand instantly, and Courtney watched helplessly as Willam descended the stairs.

Swallowing hard, she stepped backwards into the hallway, and then turned around, retreating into her room. She could greet her father later, she figured. Closing the door, Courtney sat cross legged on her bed, and waited for Willam’s inevitable knock or intrusion.

It never came. The sky went dark outside her window, and when Courtney finally emerged from the room to find something to eat, the house was quiet again.

She imagined that maybe, Willam would be curled up in the living room, or waiting spread out on the floor of the foyer, or perched on the counter sporting nothing but panties and a seductive smile. But there was no sign of the other woman anywhere, and by the time Courtney reached the kitchen, she’d realized that the house was empty but for her and the trail of lights she’d left on behind her.

She ate cold vegan pizza from the fridge as quickly as she could, hating how big and lonely the kitchen felt without Willam propped against the bar, watching her with a hip cocked.

The whole house felt lonely without Willam, Courtney realized. She wrapped her arms around herself as she stood on the fluffy rug in the foyer, her toes digging into the soft fabric, and stared up at the balcony of the second floor landing. She couldn’t help but picture Willam there, in yellow-gold lingerie and matching heels, her elbows resting on the railing, fingers curled to beckon Courtney upstairs and a mischievous smirk daring Courtney to fuck her right there, make her moans bounce off the high ceiling.

The steps felt endless and tiring, and by the time Courtney had collapsed onto her bed once more, her limbs were as heavy as the weight in her chest. She checked her phone impulsively every few moments, hoping that maybe Willam had texted.

As she lay on her back, she found herself wishing desperately that they could rewind to this morning, with Willam pressed against her, breathing softly against her bare chest and slowly tracing her name on her hip.

Courtney waited until past midnight for Willam to come to her room like she’d said she would, digging the other woman’s fur coat out of her closet for some sort of company. Eventually, Courtney found herself curled up on her side, trying her hardest not to cry and wondering why all the color seemed to have been sucked out of the world.

She fell asleep accidentally with the lights still on, the coat pulled over her like a blanket, wrapping her up in the fading scent of Willam’s perfume.

-

“Courtney?”

Burying her face in the covers, Courtney squeezed her eyes shut tightly. She’d hardly slept last night, and she needed a few more minutes.

“Courtney.”

The mattress shifted under her, and then there was brightness behind her eyelids as the coat that had been pulled up over her head was abruptly tugged away from her face.

“Wake up, princess.”

At that, Courtney’s eyes flew open as she suddenly processed who the voice belonged to.

Willam was sitting next to her, in a t-shirt stolen from Courtney’s closet. The sunlight from the window was making her eyes sparkle, and she was smiling down at Courtney, bright and warm, and Courtney thought she might burst.

Pushing the coat the rest of the way off her, Courtney sat up as fast as she could, practically throwing herself into Willam’s lap and wrapping her arms and legs around her tightly. After a few seconds, Willam hugged her back, and Courtney felt her laughter more than she heard it, utterly caught up in the softness of Willam’s body pressed close against hers again.

“Good morning,” Willam chuckled, and Courtney smiled into her neck.

“Morning,” she replied, her voice muffled. “You didn’t come last night.”

“I couldn’t, babe,” Willam said, rubbing her back. “Looks like you cuddled with my coat instead.”

“Shut up,” Courtney mumbled, stifling a laugh. “I missed you.”

“It hasn’t even been a day, Court,” Willam said, and Courtney could practically hear her rolling her eyes. “Getting all clingy with me, as if I was the one away for a week.”

“Don’t pretend you didn’t miss me too, you asshole.”

Willam ran her fingers through Courtney’s hair, and tugged at it gently, making Courtney lift her head. She was still smiling, a slightly lopsided grin, and Courtney was struck with the overwhelming urge to hug her again, even though she’d never stopped in the first place.

“I did,” she admitted. “But you gotta let go of me, though.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not gonna kiss you till you brush your teeth,” Willam said. “And you’re super cute right now, and I don’t wanna wait.”

“Well, you can wait another minute,” Courtney said decidedly, tucking her face back into Willam’s neck.

“Bossy,” Willam commented under her breath, and Courtney swatted her back. “Hey!”

With her qualms from the night before almost completely forgotten now, Courtney squelched the small voice in the back of her head reminding her why things couldn’t be this easy forever. In a few minutes she’d brush her teeth, then kiss Willam on the lips and everywhere else for a little while, or maybe for a few hours, and she couldn’t bring herself to care about much else.  

It was this same giddiness – the warmth that Courtney felt at Willam carving out a special moment in time for her that morning – that carried Courtney through the rest of her day. Nothing, Courtney determined, could take that away from her.

She was Willam’s best-kept secret, her favorite thing – Courtney could feel it in the intensity of Willam’s passing glances, in the way a small smile seemed to permanently hide in the corners of her mouth whenever Courtney was nearby.

She’d ride that high for as long as she possibly could.

Courtney even learned to love the game. She found herself staying up late and listening for footsteps outside her bedroom door, when it was quiet and dark aside from the moonlight casting shadows onto the wall, waiting with bated breath for Willam to slip in undetected.

They’d run “errands” for Dave in the afternoons, drive to the laundromat to pick up his dry-cleaning and fuck in the parking lot, Courtney’s sundress bunched at her waist.

Or maybe, if Willam wasn’t wearing a bra, Courtney would tug down the top of her dress until her chest was exposed, and fuck Willam hard, pressing her upright against the door in the backseat of the Jeep so anyone could see them, watching her breasts jiggle in time with her gorgeous little moans.

The scandal of it all seemed to make the whole affair sexier – Courtney soaked her panties through at the thought of getting caught, and noticed how much more desperately Willam bucked into her touch when she thought someone might be watching.

None of it seemed real, when Courtney took a moment to distance herself from the situation. They were two girls living out a movie plot, downsized to a screen that could be shut off as the credits rolled after a cheesy ending and a ride off into the sunset that solved all of their problems.

There were little things that poked holes in Courtney’s fantasy, though – things like Willam’s huge, ugly engagement ring slipped back on after she washed any evidence of Courtney from her fingers, like the way Willam disappeared into the master bedroom when Dave got home. Like the distant sound of Dave’s yelling later on, and the total lack of reply that made Courtney’s stomach turn.

Sometimes, Courtney secretly worried that maybe it wasn’t _that kind_ of movie after all.

Even still, around the house, she graciously accepted the subtlest of touches: the brush of Willam’s fingertips against her side as they shuffled around the kitchen after dinner, or how she’d squeeze Courtney’s hand when she was sure no one was watching, a motion so quick that Courtney would’ve thought she imagined it if it weren’t for her racing pulse.

The alternative to it all was to acknowledge the fragility of their arrangement, its potential expiration date looming large on the horizon – and that wasn’t an option. Not for Courtney, at least. No, she’d keep things as they were for as long as possible, ignoring the wedding planning tabs constantly open on Willam’s laptop, thank you very much.

So, when Willam approached her in the hallway upstairs later that week, mumbling an incoherent request into Courtney’s ear while a hand on the small of her back guided her into her bedroom, the butterflies in Courtney’s stomach had her complying obediently.   

As soon as the door was shut and locked behind them, Willam’s mouth was on Courtney’s, biting and insistent, her hands gripping Courtney’s hips tightly to keep her steady. Courtney looped her arms around Willam’s neck, letting the other woman walk her backwards until her weak knees hit the foot of her bed and she sat down on the edge, breaking the kiss involuntarily.

She panted softly, trying to catch her breath. Her own cheeks were flushed, she could feel it, and her lower lip stung deliciously from where Willam had bitten down and tugged with her teeth.

“Baby,” Willam sighed.

Something tugged in Courtney’s chest at the pet name, and she looked up at Willam reflexively. Her breath caught at the intensity in Willam’s gaze, the raw hunger and the hint of something else, hidden in the affectionate tilt of her lips.

“Yeah?” Courtney managed to say, squeezing her thighs together.

“ _Baby_ ,” Willam repeated, and Courtney swallowed the whimper rising in her throat. “Fuck, I want you. So bad.”

Willam bent at the hip to press a kiss to Courtney’s lips, slow and languid, her hand cupping Courtney’s cheek as she stole what little air was left in Courtney’s lungs and left her lightheaded.

Rendered completely speechless, Courtney gave a small nod in acknowledgment, ran her hands up the backs of Willam’s legs, letting her touch speak for itself. Willam pushed gently at her shoulders, and Courtney moved backwards onto the bed, watching Willam pull her skirt up around her hips and crawl forwards to straddle one of Courtney’s thighs.

Courtney wanted to say something, tell her how glad she was to see her, how insanely gorgeous she looked on Courtney’s lap, but Willam was kissing her again before she could get the words out.

Once she could get her brain to focus on anything other than Willam’s mouth on hers, Courtney scratched lightly up Willam’s abdomen, pushing her shirt up and running her fingertips all over the exposed skin. Willam hardly gave her a moment to breathe before kissing her again, and again, as if Courtney was addictive, a drug that she couldn’t get enough of.

When Willam finally broke the kiss and propped herself up with her hands on Courtney’s shoulders, both of them were breathing heavily, and Courtney could feel the heat and dampness of Willam’s panties against her thigh.

Willam’s eyes were almost wild, her lips pouty, and she dragged her nails slowly across Courtney’s chest, gaze following the movement of her hand. When she popped the top few buttons of Courtney’s shirt, scratching over the top of her bare breast, Courtney couldn’t help but whimper softly, needing more contact. As if triggered by the noise, Willam started to rock her hips against Courtney’s thigh, groaning low in her throat at the friction.  

Courtney settled her hands on Willam’s ass, encouraging her movements, and the Willam started to grind down faster, nails still digging into Courtney’s skin.

“God, look at you,” Courtney murmured, staring up at her. “I wish I had time to kiss you everywhere, make you feel as gorgeous as you are.”

Willam let out another moan at the praise, louder and needier than the first. Courtney let out a strangled breath, the sound of Willam’s voice sending a bolt of arousal straight to her core. She sunk her fingers into Willam’s ass, squirming and lifting her hips from the bed in an attempt to get some friction where she needed it most.

Clearly taking notice of Courtney’s desperation, Willam tossed her head back and moaned again. Her eyes narrowed almost playfully as she continued to grind on Courtney’s thigh without making any effort to return the favor.

“Do you think he can hear me?” Willam panted, letting out another groan, back arching. “Fuck, I almost wish he would. Then he’d know I fucking fake it with him.”

Courtney whined softly, flexing her thigh and pulling Willam’s hips down more roughly. Willam was only confirming what she already knew, but the wild recklessness in her words combined with the way she was using Courtney’s body to get herself off was enough to make Courtney want to cry out, beg to be touched.

“You know that, right?” Willam said breathlessly, her hand kneading at Courtney’s breast now. “You’re the one who makes me moan and scream, Court. It’s just – _ooh, fuck_ – just you.”

“Good,” Courtney exhaled, reaching up to tug at Willam’s shirt, pulling her back down enough to kiss her. “I want you all to myself,” she added against Willam’s lips before wrapping her arms around her and sliding her hands down to rest on Willam’s ass again.

“You have me, baby,” Willam gasped, her head dropping to rest on Courtney’s shoulder as she moaned again, this time high pitched and through her teeth.

The sound was sharp, cutting, and for a moment, Courtney was positive that it must’ve been audible in the hallway and throughout the entire house. But there was no knock on the door, no footsteps in the hall, and Courtney wanted to hear that noise again more than anything.

Willam panted hot breaths on Courtney’s upper chest as she drove herself higher and higher, and then her teeth closed around flesh, biting down on the taut skin just below Courtney’s collarbone, and Courtney cried out, channel clenching around nothing as she moaned brokenly.

She almost didn’t hear it, the first time the car horn blared from outside. Her thigh was practically slick now, and Willam was moaning in her ear, but when the horn beeped again, three times in succession, everything came to a grinding halt.

“Oh, _shit_ ,” Willam hissed, her eyes wide and frantic. “Goddamnit, I fucking – Court, I forgot.”

“What?” Courtney demanded, as Willam scrambled off of her, swaying from side to side for a moment before stumbling towards Courtney’s closet. “What did you forget?”

Willam smacked her forehead with her palm, rubbing the heel of her hand against the space between her eyebrows as if she was trying to clear her thoughts. She wrenched open Courtney’s closet, rifling through the section that was now solely devoted to her own clothing.

“Willam!” Courtney exclaimed.

“It’s fucking – it’s _date night_ ,” Willam said finally, and Courtney could see how shaky she was. “He’s waiting for me in the car, I’m already late, I’m not ready -”

“Calm down, Bill,” Courtney said, sitting up. “It’s fine, he’ll understand.”

“You know he won’t,” Willam said, looking back over her shoulder at Courtney. “Cut the crap.”

She hastily took off her tank top and pushed her skirt down past her hips, stepping out of it quickly and grabbing a dress from the closet. It was tiny and shimmery, iridescent shades of teal and green and purple, and Courtney could practically feel how thin and slippery it was as Willam slid it over her head. With the way it loosely draped over her figure and hugged her hips, the way it rode up her thighs the second she started to move, Courtney’s hands were already itching to touch.

“You can’t just put that on and leave,” Courtney complained, watching the hem slide higher up her thighs as Willam reached up to tousle her hair into a shape that seemed intentionally debauched, rather than accidentally so.

“I gotta,” Willam said, looking over to meet Courtney’s gaze. “I’m sorry, kitten. I’ll be back soon, promise.”

With that, she spun around, and disappeared into the hallway before Courtney could protest any more. Courtney stared at the mess Willam had left in her wake in stunned silence, articles of clothing and discarded hangers littering the floor, and flopped back down on the bed with a huff of frustration.

Willam could be gone for hours, Courtney figured. She honestly didn’t know if she could bear it.

She could feel the heat pooling between her own legs, and her thigh was still slick from Willam’s wetness, and she wanted to punch something or someone out of sheer sexual frustration.

With her chest rising and falling heavily, the top of her shirt still open to expose her breasts, Courtney glared at the ceiling. She’d liked it much better when Willam was on top of her.

Now, she was just worked up, and more than a little bit annoyed to boot. In hindsight, Courtney realized, she probably should’ve grabbed Willam’s hips and pulled her up to straddle her face instead, so at least one of them could’ve gotten off before Dave had so rudely interrupted.

Selfishly, a part of Courtney hoped that Willam was just as wrecked as she was. From the wild-eyed look on the other woman’s face as she’d changed and stumbled around the room, Courtney was pretty sure that was the case.

She pictured Willam, legs squeezed together underneath the dinner table, squirming in her seat as she ordered an expensive cocktail on the rocks with too sharp a tone – or trying her hardest to maintain conversation and feign interest in Dave’s dull anecdotes, still in the pair of soaked through panties that Courtney knew she hadn’t changed, her nails digging harshly into her own thighs.

The image made Courtney feel slightly better, almost – but didn’t do much in the way of distracting her from the ache in her core. Briefly, she considered taking care of herself, but gave up the thought after a moment, realizing that it wouldn’t be satisfying after having Willam so close so recently.

 _“Fuck, I want you. So bad.”_ Willam’s words echoed in Courtney’s ears, and she took a shaky breath, crossing her legs at the ankles. _Baby,_ Willam had called her. Over and over, making Courtney melt into the bed, soft and malleable and adoring under her. _“You have me, baby.”_

“Fuck,” Courtney whispered out loud. She grabbed a fistful of her comforter, wished desperately that it was Willam’s hair instead.

After a moment, she loosened her grip. Willam liked when she tugged on it gently, just enough to direct her but not enough to hurt. Willam liked everything better gentle, liked to feel pretty and soft and cared for.

Courtney doubted Dave knew that. Or cared enough to find out.

Men were pigs, she reasoned. And men like her father most of all, the ones who used money and power to manipulate women and then treated them like dirt for letting themselves be taken advantage of.

The combination of arousal and righteous indignation felt like an adrenaline rush, prompting a desire in Courtney to spring up and do something rash, like rush outside and cuss out the first wealthy-looking man she ran into, or video call Willam and make her wish she’d bailed on date night altogether. Clenching her hands into fists, she closed her eyes, and waited for the feeling to pass.

Except it didn’t.

While she possessed _just_ enough self-control not to call up Willam, Courtney did still want to send her a quick text, something to remind her of what she was currently missing out on. After all, Courtney was suffering. It was only fair to let Willam know.

As soon as she had her phone in her hands, one text asking Willam to come back soon turned into three, then six, telling Willam without sparing any details what she wished she’d done to her in the short time they’d been alone together.

It was like shouting into the void. Each message was opened and ignored, until Courtney was gripping her phone tightly enough that she thought she might crack the screen.

Willam had some nerve, ignoring her like this. Courtney was aware that she probably seemed beyond needy and possibly annoying, but at this point, she couldn’t find it in herself to care. She wanted Willam’s attention, and she didn’t feel like waiting.

Making a split-second decision, she popped open the rest of the buttons on her shirt, and shimmied her shorts down her legs, leaving her in her panties with her chest bare. She crossed one arm over her stomach to push her breasts together, showing off the small amount of cleavage she had, and fumbled for her phone. The adrenaline was still coursing through her system, and she could practically feel her pulse under the fingers laid across her ribs as she found the perfect angle and snapped a few pictures.

Courtney chose the most flattering of the bunch and sent it quickly off to Willam without a moment of hesitation, refusing to give herself the chance to overthink it.

She only had to wait a few moments until the read receipt appeared, and only a few seconds after that before Willam finally decided to reply, spamming her with messages.   

The string of curses and exclamation points, along with a desperate inquiry as to what the fuck Courtney thought she was playing at, made satisfaction curl comfortably in Courtney’s stomach. She smirked at her phone screen and wiggled a little, feeling a bit like a cat who’d finally managed to get her owner’s attention. Or, rather, a kitten.

And Courtney was in the mood to play.

For good measure, she shrugged the shirt off her shoulders and took another few shots, free hand toying with her own nipple until it was stiff and sensitive under her fingers.

She figured that would be enough material to keep Willam’s mind on her and her alone until the date was over. And after that, if Courtney played her cards right and sent a few more choice messages later on, she was positive Willam would find a way to get her alone again once she arrived back home.

The next hour and a half crawled by slowly, and Courtney remained on her bed, lounging, occasionally texting Willam, almost painfully on edge. The moment she heard the car pulling into the driveway, she was on her feet, pulling her shorts back on and buttoning up her shirt just enough to cover herself, not bothering with decency.

She hurried down the stairs, and positioned herself against the open archway that led to the kitchen, pretending to scroll through her phone casually as she eyed the front door.

Dave was the first to step inside, not bothering to hold the door open for his fiancée. When Willam entered behind him, catching the door just before it slammed shut, Courtney’s eyes were glued to her immediately.

Willam had matched the tiny dress with a pair of thigh-high black boots, spiked heels and her toes peeking out at the front. Courtney barely even heard her father’s half-hearted greeting, too busy staring at the exposed skin between the hemline of the dress and the place where the boots ended, Willam’s flexed thighs practically daring Courtney to sink her fingers into them.

When she managed to tear her gaze away, Willam was looking right back at her, her cheeks tinted a shade of pink that didn’t match her blush and her pupils very obviously dilated.

It took every ounce of restraint Courtney possessed not to stride forwards and grab Willam, kiss her right there in front of her father. Willam’s tongue poked out to wet her lips, and Courtney had to bite the inside of her cheek to suppress a groan.

Seeming fully and thankfully oblivious to the palpable tension in the air, Dave plodded upstairs for the night, calling Willam to join him as he reached the second floor landing.

Courtney watched Willam take a deep breath, and then the other woman was walking up to her, grasping her hand tightly and leaning in to press a brief but heated kiss to her lips.

“Wait right here,” she whispered, the intensity in her eyes taking Courtney’s breath away. “Okay?”

Courtney managed to nod, and then Willam backed away. She was already halfway up the staircase by the time Courtney recovered her composure, ears straining to listen to Willam’s impressively convincing spiel: assuring Dave that there wasn’t a need for him to wait up for her, that she’d join him in bed after a quick nightcap.

Courtney wanted to tell her that it wouldn’t be quick at all, not if she had anything to say about it.

It was only a few minutes before Willam’s heels could be heard clicking back down the stairs, and Courtney felt like a coiled spring, wound so tight she could burst.

Willam stalked towards her with purpose, her hand landing flat on Courtney’s chest, pushing her back against the rounded frame that she was leaning against. Courtney reached for her instantly, grabbing her waist and pulling her closer – not unlike how she’d wanted to that first night after their family dinner, in the kitchen.

There was a moment of silent tension, Willam’s face just inches away from hers, her skin so hot that Courtney could feel the warmth through her dress.

Courtney’s lips grazed Willam’s, and the other woman exhaled a soft breath against her mouth.

“Goddamnit, Courtney,” she whispered.

When Willam’s lips finally met hers again, Courtney found herself smiling into the kiss, her arms wrapping around Willam tightly.  

“So you liked my photos?” Courtney giggled.

In lieu of a response, Willam snaked a hand underneath the hem of Courtney’s shirt, fingers pressing into her lower back. She sucked Courtney’s bottom lip into her mouth before resting her forehead against hers, reveling in the moment.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“You almost killed me,” Willam muttered with a low chuckle.

Just then, there was a loud thud from upstairs, and both of them froze momentarily. Courtney tried to push Willam off of her, and the other woman made an affronted noise.

“In there,” Courtney explained, nodding towards the kitchen.

“Oh.” Willam nodded, keeping one arm around Courtney and leading her into the kitchen with her thumb rubbing lightly over Courtney’s spine.

The room was relatively dim, but neither one of them made a move to flick on a light switch. Instead, Willam guided Courtney around the bar, pressing her quickly against the counter and surging forwards to kiss her again.

Courtney allowed Willam to take charge at first, content to let her get out some of her pent up sexual frustration. Sliding her hands down to cup Willam’s ass and kneading with her fingertips, Courtney considered her options.

It only took her a few seconds to decide, and then she was spinning them around, pushing Willam back against the counter instead and swallowing her responding squeak of surprise. Pulling up the bottom of Willam’s tiny dress, Courtney slipped her thigh between Willam’s, breaking the kiss for a moment just to hear her groan at the contact.

“Oh my god,” Courtney breathed, rocking her hips to grind her thigh against Willam. “How did you make it through dinner like this, babe? You’re soaked.”

Willam whimpered, and Courtney leaned in to press another kiss to her lips before rolling her hips forward again.

“Good job, love,” she murmured, meeting Willam’s eyes just in time to see them glaze over.

She traced Willam’s curves with light hands, up the smooth scales of her dress and around her breasts. Courtney let her touch linger there for a moment before dropping to her knees, smirking at Willam’s audible gasp.

She pressed her cheek to Willam’s inner thigh, glancing up to watch the faint shimmer of the dress over Willam’s heaving chest. It was a gorgeous image, Willam practically buckling at the knees as Courtney’s breath tickled her skin, and Courtney couldn’t believe how lucky she was.

Pushing up the hem of Willam’s dress, Courtney leaned up, placing a kiss at the apex of her thighs, through the damp fabric. Willam shuddered, letting out a moan.

“Oh, Willam,” Courtney sighed, laying her cheek against Willam’s thigh again. “You’re gonna have to be quiet for me, you know.”

“But, baby,” Willam started, her voice weak and raspy.

“I can’t come up there to shut you up,” Courtney said, turning her head to kiss the front of Willam’s hip softly. “Can you keep quiet, love? For me?”

Willam’s hand slid into Courtney’s hair, tugging, trying to pull her face closer.

“I’m not gonna do anything else until you say yes,” Courtney added, nuzzling against the spot she’d just kissed. “And I want to so bad, Will.”

Willam bit her lip, nodding slowly at Courtney with a pained expression on her face. Her fingers coiled more tightly into Courtney’s curls, and Courtney didn’t need any more encouragement than that.

She pulled Willam’s thong away from her wetness, maneuvered it down her legs and over the tall boots, making sure the fabric didn’t catch on the heels.

Willam’s thighs were quivering under Courtney’s hands already, and she rubbed over them as she pressed kisses across the front of Willam’s hip, following the tug on her hair to where Willam wanted her so desperately.

One hand sliding between Willam’s legs, Courtney shifted slightly, gripping the back of her knee.

“You might wanna hold onto something,” she said, feeling Willam tense at her words.

Too impatient to wait any longer, Courtney lifted Willam’s leg, draping it over her shoulder and opening Willam up to her sight. She was so wet that her inner thighs were slick when Courtney kissed her there, and Courtney felt lightheaded, the scent making her head spin.

The point of Willam’s heel dug into her back, grounding her again, and she leaned in to lick a long stripe up Willam’s folds, suppressing a smile at the strangled noise that died in Willam’s throat as she tried to keep from moaning.

Not wasting any time, Courtney tilted her chin up, focusing her attention on the sensitive bundle of nerves, unable to resist teasing it a little with her tongue to make Willam whine.

“Court, baby, please,” Willam begged, her hips jerking.

She knew Willam was hardly staying upright as it was, and she couldn’t afford to draw this out, since the kitchen had no doors and they could technically be caught at any moment.

After a few more brief moments of teasing, Courtney made quick work of opening Willam up with her tongue, driving her to silent screams, her body shuddering as she pulled and twisted Courtney’s hair.

Wetness kept pooling at her entrance, dripping almost constantly onto Courtney’s chin and lips. In a split-second decision, Courtney slipped the hand that wasn’t holding Willam’s thigh up on her shoulder between Willam’s legs. She slid two fingers inside Willam, adding a third when she met no resistance, and this time, Willam failed to suppress her raspy moan.

The slick noises sounding from Willam’s core were enough to make Courtney dizzy with arousal herself, and the fact that she was causing it doubled the effect. She was intoxicated by the feeling of Willam practically throbbing under her tongue, the way her walls fluttered and grasped around her fingers as she pumped them steadily in and out.

When Willam said her name again, voice breaking on the last syllable, Courtney sealed her lips around Willam’s clit, sucking hard as she twisted her wrist to reach the sweet spot inside.

The muffled scream was audible as Willam came, clenching tight around Courtney’s fingers, wetness dripping onto her palm. She was tugging harshly at Courtney’s hair, heel digging into her back again, all sharp edges and soft warmth inside, and Courtney wanted the moment to last forever.

When Willam sunk to the floor, satiated and spent, Courtney was there to envelop her, placing a lingering kiss to the top of her head. She pulled Willam’s legs onto her lap, carefully removing her boots for her, keeping her eyes on Willam as she slumped against the cabinetry.

“Can we just… sit?” Willam asked, her voice sleepy. “I don’t wanna go upstairs just yet.”

Courtney’s heart fluttered, and she pulled Willam into her arms, breathing in the scent of her hair. “Of course,” she replied softly.

Willam hummed, tucking her nose into Courtney’s neck. After a moment, she let out a sigh, sounding so perfectly content that Courtney felt her chest expanding, wanting to give the entire world to this woman who was crumpled halfway in her lap on the kitchen floor.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miss Bianca’s A/N: So this is, um...a Chapter. Sorry it’s been a minute since we updated, but we hope this makes up for it - we’re real proud. As always, you can find us on our tumblrs @willamdelrio and @artificial-jazz, and we love feedback and talking to you guys. 
> 
> jazz’s A/N: I apologize in advance for all the feelings you’re about to feel. Prepare your bodies. Just trust us <3

Sometimes, when Courtney woke up, she swore she could feel the ghost of Willam’s body beside hers in bed. It was as if Willam had spent the night curled up behind her, holding her, and had only just left minutes before Courtney opened her eyes.  

Her theory was difficult to prove. Despite the gentle scent of Willam’s shampoo that seemed to linger on the pillow in the mornings, and the vague memories of waking up sometime before the sunrise with Willam’s arms wrapped around her, Courtney had no way of confirming that it wasn’t all a dream.

At least, not until now.

Gentle kisses peppered against the back of her neck pulled Courtney from her sleep this morning, and she shifted, slowly becoming aware of the body behind hers, the arm snaked around her waist. The fingers brushing light circles on her abdomen under her loose shirt, steadily moving lower.

Keeping her eyes closed, Courtney allowed herself to bask in the warm, sleepy haze, inhaling slowly through her nose and smiling at the faint scent of coconut. She pressed herself back into Willam’s embrace, letting out a quiet sigh.

It felt right, waking up next to her – to know that she’d stayed the night, just to be close to Courtney for a few extra hours.

When Willam’s lips moved to the side of her neck, placing soft kisses on the skin there, Courtney hummed, thinking that she might not mind starting every morning like this. She tilted her head, pressing her cheek into the pillow to give Willam easier access.

She heard Willam chuckle quietly, and then Willam’s arm tightened around her in what felt like a hug.

“Hi, baby,” Willam murmured, her voice just a little bit raspy, and Courtney melted.

Her lips brushed the spot below Courtney’s ear, and Courtney arched her neck into the feeling instinctively. Willam’s hand slid up her stomach, fingers pressing into the underside of her breast before circling her nipple lightly.

Courtney’s breath caught, goosebumps rising on her chest. Willam kissed the corner of her jaw, open-mouthed, and cupped her breast, squeezing gently.

“Sleep good?” Willam asked quietly, and Courtney nodded, her mind still too foggy to formulate a proper answer.

“You smile in your sleep, princess,” Willam added. Her voice was barely above a murmur, but Courtney swore she could hear her smiling, too. “Did you know that?”

Her hand was kneading at Courtney’s breast now, nose tucked behind Courtney’s ear, and it took Courtney a moment to remember how to shake her head in response.

“Whenever I wake up, you’re smiling,” Willam whispered. “And it’s hard to get up and leave, ‘cause you’re so pretty, I just wanna watch you sleep forever.”

The words spread through Courtney’s limbs like honey, pleasant and sweet. Courtney attempted to wriggle closer to her, fit her body more tightly against the curvature of Willam’s.

Even like this, wrapped up in Willam, Courtney found herself craving more contact, more of her touch. Her mind was still clouded with sleep, and as Willam rolled and pinched her nipple between her fingers, Courtney couldn’t focus on much else besides the slow burning in her core.

Willam’s hand slid down her stomach, and Courtney whimpered inadvertently as the material of her shirt brushed over her hardened nipples, the sensitivity making her squirm in Willam’s arms.

“Shhhhh,” Willam hushed, lips pressed to her neck, hand moving between her legs. “I got you, baby.”

She rubbed Courtney lightly over the damp cotton of her panties, and Courtney groaned softly, her hips rocking just a little into the slight friction.

Willam had hardly even touched her, but Courtney felt as if her whole body was a live wire, reacting to the slightest contact with shivers and sighs. Willam’s tongue traced a path up the side of her neck slowly, and Courtney moaned, unable to stop herself.

She was soft and hot all over, and as Willam’s fingers slipped down to rub over her hole, she imagined their bodies fusing together, no space between them, no way to pull them apart.

Tugging gently on Courtney’s earlobe with her teeth, Willam slid her hand into Courtney’s panties, letting out a soft groan herself as she cupped her dripping core. Courtney could feel how soaked she was, Willam’s palm slick and tight against her heat, fingertips dipping ever-so-slightly into her entrance to tease her.

“Fuck, I love… I love how wet you get for me, kitten,” Willam breathed, her hand moving imperceptibly to rub against Courtney’s clit. “My messy, messy baby.”

Courtney whimpered, a shudder running through her body, one hand gripping Willam’s forearm tightly. Willam’s middle finger slid through her folds to sink inside her slowly, easily, and Courtney rocked her hips forwards, desperate to get her deeper.

If pure want was a collection of sensations, then Courtney thought she was most definitely experiencing it now. She could smell her own arousal, feel the stickiness on the insides of her thighs – and with Willam wrapped around her, talking in her ear, it was almost too much for her sleep-ridden brain to process.

Courtney inched her legs apart, impatient and unthinking. Maybe it was the early hour, or the vulnerability of it all, but Courtney felt extra sensitive, and Willam’s hands were especially adept at unraveling her this morning.

As Willam continued to pump a finger in and out of Courtney at a leisurely pace, Courtney exhaled shakily, her lips parted. She wanted to feel Willam inside every inch of her, on her tongue and against her chest, all the way down to the curling of her toes – and when Willam pressed a thumb to Courtney’s throbbing bundle of nerves, her back bowed away from Willam as she let out a muted moan. Willam’s free arm slipped underneath her, wrapping around her waist and pulling her close again.

“I love how badly you want it,” Willam murmured into Courtney’s mess of blonde hair. “Want me to rub you, and touch you…”

She echoed her words with a second finger pressed alongside the first, her other hand moving from its grip around Courtney’s middle up to her breast, which she groped tenderly.

Courtney could feel her own heartbeat all over her body, from her flushed chest to her entrance clenching around Willam’s fingers, hips rocking against her in time. Willam had her in the palm of her hand, literally and figuratively, her body reacting to the slightest change in pressure or friction.

When Willam’s teeth dug into the top of Courtney’s shoulder, too gentle to really hurt, Courtney cried out softly. She could practically taste her orgasm, eyes squeezed shut and lips parted to let out quick pants as Willam rubbed circles on her clit.

“Princess… Courtney,” Willam husked into her skin. “I love –”

Courtney groaned as her climax overtook her, drowning out the end of Willam’s sentence. Tension rippled through every muscle in her body, light flashing like fireworks behind her eyelids. Even as the waves of pleasure washed over her, Courtney was conscious of Willam holding her almost too tight, forehead pressed to her shoulder, keeping her grounded as if she might float away.

It was a few minutes later, as Courtney’s breathing evened out, that she finally felt fully awake. The late morning sun was filtering through the gap above the curtains, and Willam’s arms were still around her, the two of them fit together like puzzle pieces under the covers.

Everything about it was perfect. _Willam_ was perfect, Courtney realized, in a moment of sudden clarity.

From the way she felt pressed close behind Courtney to how she smelled and how her voice sounded, she was everything the hopeless romantic in Courtney had ever dreamed of and more, and Courtney was stunned that she hadn’t figured it out earlier.

It was as if her orgasm had scrubbed her clean, leaving a blank slate for Willam to scrawl her signature on, over and over, until Courtney was nothing at all except hers.  

-

Courtney had always adored weddings, ever since she was younger. The idea of a couple loving each other enough to spend the rest of their lives together was magical enough, and when you added a celebration of said couple, complete with girls in pretty dresses, it was like a real life fairytale.

In theory, getting to plan a wedding with a bottomless budget and her favorite person in the world by her side should've been a dream – and some days, when she forgot that she wasn't the one marrying Willam, it was.

And then, her father’s name was mentioned, and Willam’s shoulders sunk, her bright eyes seeming to grow dimmer. And Courtney remembered, and it took physical effort not to scream in frustration.

With the wedding just under two weeks out now, Courtney was beginning to realize that planning it was more stressful than it was fun. The mood in the house was increasingly frantic, she and Willam swept up in a frenzy of almost daily visits from various sorts of wedding planners.

As Dave reassured them at meals, most of it was taken care of. It was to be a relatively small affair, he insisted, with only a handful of colleagues and friends invited. Courtney couldn’t fathom how a small affair required so much time to plan, but then again, she’d never done it before.

Willam, somehow, had even less experience than she did. The decisions that had to be made, from flowers to dresses to seatings and menus, were all thrown at her, and Courtney could see how intimidated she was every time, seeming terrified to mess any of it up. This resulted in Courtney taking on most of the tasks for her, leaving Willam without much to do other than fret and take checks to Dave’s office for him to sign.

One notable exception was finalizing the design of the flower arrangements for the reception, which they’d done together a few days earlier in a florist’s shop, spending far too long putting flowers together in ridiculous combinations and laughing just to have more time alone together out of the house.

Once Willam had started to actually pay attention to the job at hand, her brow furrowed as she shifted flowers around in a small vase, Courtney had decided to occupy herself by subtly tucking flowers into Willam’s mane of hair. By the time Willam had finally realized what she was doing, there was already a rainbow of blossoms balanced in her curls. Her fingertips had danced lightly over the petals in wonderment, and she’d turned to look at Courtney with the sweetest expression on her face, her blue eyes bright with surprise, affection curled in the corner of her smile.

Today, though, Willam had been put in charge of finalizing the reception seating chart by Dave, through a text that had forced the two of them out of their warm post-sex haze and into the shower.

The afternoon found Willam seated at the bar with a map of tables and a guest list, and Courtney perched on the counter nearby, alternating between scrolling through Instagram and watching Willam affectionately.

Just the sight of her started butterflies in Courtney’s stomach, and the small pout on her lips as she struggled with the seating chart made Courtney want to slide off the counter and into her lap, kiss all her worries away.

She was just about to do so, when the front door swung open, announcing Dave’s early return home from work. Closing her eyes, Courtney took a deep breath, trying to push back her frustration to a manageable level.

“Dave?” Willam called.

“What do you want?” His tone was sharp, and Courtney didn’t miss the way Willam flinched just a little at the response.

“Just, can you look at this seating chart?” she replied.

There was an audible sigh, and then Dave was walking up to stand behind Willam.

“I’m looking at it.”

“Well, it’s mostly your guests, and I’m trying to figure out how to fit in mine,” she said tentatively. “But they’re not, uh… they’re not like your co-workers, and –”

“Easy,” Dave interrupted, grabbing the pen out of her hand and sliding the guest sheet over to where he could reach it.

Courtney could tell what he was going to do before he did it, and she had to dig her nails into her own palms to keep from snatching the pen away. Reading through the guest list quickly, Dave scratched out a handful of names in the angry red ink as Courtney looked on helplessly.

“Problem solved,” he said shortly, dropping the pen. “You won’t be associating with people like that from now on, anyway. I’ll invite a few more colleagues so there’s no wasted food.”

Without waiting for Willam’s reply, he turned and walked out of the kitchen. Courtney wanted to scream, imagining her heated glare burning holes in his back, or better yet, setting him on fire as he retreated into his office, sat behind the desk that Willam had bent her over just a short while ago.

“He crossed out my aunt’s name,” Willam said in a small voice, and Courtney looked back over to see her staring at the guest list blankly. “And my friends…”

“Hey,” Courtney said, reaching over to take Willam’s hand in her own. “We’ll add your aunt back. She can sit at the main table, with us.” She smiled weakly at Willam, hoping she sounded more steady than she felt.

Willam ran her finger over the other names he’d scratched out, mouthing them inaudibly, almost like a silent prayer. Then, she looked up at Courtney, the corners of her mouth lifting in a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Her hand slipped out of Courtney’s, and she returned to the seating chart, moving a bit more slowly now.

Courtney bit her tongue, kept herself from uttering the words she knew would only make things harder for the both of them.

Willam didn’t leave the kitchen after she finished with the seating chart, only getting up to fix herself a drink before returning to her stool and flicking aimlessly through her phone. Courtney retreated to the breakfast nook, keeping an eye on Willam and trying to figure out what she could do to pull her out of her unhappiness.

The situation only worsened later on, with Dave’s return to the kitchen. His heavy footsteps on the stairs made Courtney anxious, and when he rounded the bar to face Willam head-on, Courtney could practically feel the anger radiating from his body. Heart pounding in her chest, she wondered what could’ve possibly upset him this time.

He was holding a piece of paper, which he slammed down on the counter in front of Willam, loudly enough to make her jump, phone nearly slipping out of her hands.

“What is this?” he demanded.

“It looks like the credit card statement,” Willam replied after a moment, glancing up at him nervously.

“That’s right,” he said slowly, as if explaining something to a toddler. “And do you know what that charge is?”

He pointed to something on the paper, and Willam squinted down at it.

“It’s a donation,” Willam said, biting her lip.

“It’s a waste of money!” Dave nearly yelled, and Courtney was on her feet before she even processed what was happening. “I didn’t decide to marry you for your brains, but Jesus Christ, do you have to be this stupid?”

Willam opened her mouth, but before she could say a word, Courtney was beside her.

“Dad,” she interjected hastily. “It’s my fault. I made the donation, I just used one of your cards because I didn’t have mine on me.”

She rested her hand on Willam’s shoulder almost instinctively, squeezing as if to reassure her that she was fine with taking the fall for this. Willam leaned into her slightly.

“You know how I love animals, always have,” Courtney added, figuring that her father wouldn’t remember that the excuse wasn’t quite true.

Dave eyed her for a moment, seeming suspicious, prompting Courtney to don her best innocent smile, blinking at him sweetly. Silently, she prayed that her face wasn’t betraying any of the fury and frustration burning in her chest.

“Of course,” he said finally, the creases in his forehead dissipating. “You and animals.”

“I know,” Courtney said, shrugging.

“Alright,” he said. “Well, don’t do it again.”

“I won’t, Dad, I swear.”

His total lack of apology wasn’t lost on Courtney, as she watched him nod brusquely, once, and walk away in a huff. She didn’t know why she would’ve expected anything more of him.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Willam said once Dave’s footsteps faded away again, her head resting on Courtney’s arm.

“Yeah, I did,” Courtney said.

Willam didn’t reply, but after a moment, she placed her hand over Courtney’s on her shoulder, squeezing gently. The unspoken _thank you_ couldn’t have been clearer.

Brushing Willam’s hair off her shoulder, Courtney leaned down to kiss her cheek, before blowing a raspberry there. Willam giggled, making a halfhearted attempt to push her away.

“What would you do without me?” Courtney teased, wrapping her arms around Willam in a sideways hug.

Willam smiled at first, taking the light jab at face-value – but Courtney noticed as the expression on Willam’s face shifted to one more serious, her brow furrowed slightly.

“I dunno,” she said quietly, and when she turned to look at Courtney, the honesty in her eyes was striking.

“Stop that,” Courtney replied, scrambling to lighten the mood again. “You’re never gonna have to find out.”

Willam nodded, a sad smile on her lips.

Like earlier, with Dave, they both knew that the line wasn’t quite true.

-

The loveseat in the living room was just the right size for the two of them, and they settled into it later that evening, Courtney curled up with her head on Willam’s shoulder. The TV was on, but the volume was turned down far too low to hear, and Courtney wouldn’t have been paying attention either way.

Willam’s hand was resting gently on her thigh, thumb rubbing soft circles over the fabric of her pants. When Courtney looked up at her, though, she found her face still sad, the corners of her mouth downturned.

Courtney placed a delicate kiss on her lower lip.

“You’re gonna get frown lines, y’know,” she teased, kicking a leg over top of Willam’s.

“Will you still like me even if I have them?” Willam asked, patting her knee.

“Duh.”

“Then I don’t care.”

Something fluttered in Courtney’s chest, and she leaned over to press her lips softly against Willam’s neck in a lingering kiss. She listened as Willam let out a heavy exhale through her nose, and sighed herself, letting her head drop to lay on Willam’s shoulder once more.

“I wish I’d met you first,” Courtney said quietly after a moment.

There was a pause, and Willam squeezed her leg.

“Me too, Court,” Willam replied, her voice equally low. She rested her head on top of Courtney’s, let the hum of the television fill the silence that followed.

Absentmindedly, Courtney took Willam’s hand into her own, tracing the lines on her palm before flipping her hand over. She played with each of Willam’s fingers individually as she stared at the TV screen blankly, debating crawling fully into Willam’s lap to get closer to her like she so desperately wanted.

When her fingers brushed over Willam’s ring, Courtney stiffened. Almost instantly, Willam was pulling her hand away, clearing her throat. Courtney thought about apologizing, frowning down at Willam’s lap, but decided against it.

She reached for Willam’s other hand instead, picking it up and kissing the back before turning it over and nuzzling the palm. Willam cupped Courtney’s jaw, lifting her face to meet her eyes. The expression on her face was still sad, but there was so much warmth in her gaze that Courtney could feel it all the way down to her toes.

Willam tugged her closer, leaning in to kiss her slowly, sweetly. Courtney closed her eyes as her lips moved against Willam’s, imagining for a moment that the house was theirs, the couch theirs. That the ring on Willam’s left hand was far smaller, the diamond set in rose gold that suited the faint blush on her cheeks when she admired it.

She pictured Willam in a wedding dress, makeup minimal, brightly colored flowers scattered in her loose, wild hair. She would spin delightedly until she was dizzy and swaying in her heels, and when Courtney caught her, Willam would look up at her with the most beautiful smile on her face.

They pulled apart, and Courtney bit her lip, staring at Willam.

“You shouldn’t marry him,” she said suddenly, unable to stop herself.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt herself redden, the suggestion hanging heavily in the air.

Willam snorted, her hand dropping from Courtney’s cheek, and Courtney immediately wished she hadn’t said anything.

“Isn’t that a nice thought,” she commented.

“I’m – I’m serious, Willam,” Courtney said. “He’s a terrible person, and he treats you like you’re worthless.”

“He’s not that bad,” Willam sighed. “He’s not a drunk, he’s not doing nothing illegal. He doesn’t hit me. And he has money.”

“Someone not hitting you shouldn’t be a reason to marry them,” Courtney said indignantly, her lip curling. “He yells at you all the time, and that’s like verbal abuse. And besides, you don’t love him, or anything.”  

Willam just stared at her incredulously, her lips parted slightly.

“What?” Courtney demanded.

“Do you have any idea how naive you sound right now?”

Courtney opened her mouth to reply, feeling herself flush further.

“I don’t _love him_?” Willam scoffed, pushing Courtney off of her, her voice growing louder. “What is this, a fucking Disney movie? Sorry to break it to you, Court, but you’re not a princess, and neither am I.”

“Love exists outside of fairytales!” Courtney exclaimed, reeling from the abrupt loss of contact.

“That doesn’t mean it matters.”

Courtney gaped at Willam. She had no idea how things had escalated so quickly, and it hurt how easily Willam seemed to be able to put her guard up, her voice cold and cutting.

“How can you say that?” Courtney asked.

“Because I know what it feels like to not even be safe, much less comfortable,” Willam snapped. “I haven’t been sheltered my whole life. My parents didn’t have money to throw at me left and right, or the time to give a crap whether or not I was even taken care of. I was too dumb to get into college, so my first adult job was sucking dick on the side of the interstate for rent money.”

“How does that have anything to do with you marrying someone you hate?” Courtney found herself snapping back, trying to burn the images Willam’s words brought to mind out of her brain.

“Jesus Christ, Courtney.” Willam shook her head, seeming disgusted. “Do you know what would happen to me if I left him right now? If I just walked out the door?”

“Yeah,” Courtney replied over the pounding in her ears, even though the question was clearly rhetorical. “You’d have a shot at actually, finally being happy!”

“I’d have nothing _._ I’d _be_ nothing.”

“You’d have me!” Courtney exclaimed heatedly. “I’d leave with you, and we could –”

“Oh, don’t give me that load of bullshit,” Willam retorted. She stood up, arms wrapped around herself protectively, brow furrowed. “As if you wouldn’t just – just get bored of me, or, or drop me at the slightest chance of trouble, run back home to mommy or daddy.”

Courtney’s eyes widened, her stomach knotting uncomfortably, but Willam cut in again before she could say a word, her voice stronger now.

“I know I’m your latest fucking toy, or whatever, but my life isn’t something you can play with,” she spat venomously. “ _Princess._ ”

The words felt like a slap in the face, and Courtney physically recoiled. Willam’s features were twisted in what looked almost like a snarl, as if she was a cat that had been threatened, fur standing on end, hissing and snapping.

“Willam, you’re not a toy,” Courtney tried, horrified. “I don’t see you like that at all, I swear, I really –”

“I know you think I’m stupid and shallow for agreeing to marry your dad, Courtney,” Willam cut her off. “That’s been real fucking clear since I met you. But you have _no idea_ the shit that I’ve been through, and the shit I’d have to go through again if I end up back where I started, with nothing at all other than a good eye for mixing drinks and a face people wanna fuck.”

Courtney’s blood ran cold, and she sputtered as she tried to formulate a response, the full reality of Willam’s tirade sinking in.

“Willam,” Courtney exhaled finally, not sure what else to say.

“This was a mistake,” Willam said, shaking her head, eyes glassy. “I should have known better than to let it happen. I’m such a fucking idiot.”

“Willam, I…” Courtney tried, but trailed off as Willam turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, leaving Courtney frozen on the loveseat, wondering what the hell had just happened.

Courtney felt hollow, as if all the air had been knocked from her lungs. The TV was still on, but she couldn’t hear the faint din of voices any longer. It was like she was shell shocked, failing to process the desire to chase after Willam until it was too late.

The seconds passed like minutes, Willam’s footsteps growing fainter and fainter until they disappeared entirely, and the silence swallowed Courtney whole.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miss Bianca’s A/N: okay so I’d like to start by apologizing for the wait and saying that it’s entirely my fault… I failed to process the passage of time for almost two weeks, and essentially abandoned jazz (pls forgive me bb), but I’m back now. And here’s this. As always, feedback is appreciated - you probably know who we are by now.
> 
> jazz’s A/N: HELLO I’ve missed you all/this fic/Miss Bianca so very much. It’s about to get v Emo here, but we also get a new side character! All I’m gonna say is trust us, and get ready for chapters 9 & 10 ;)))

Courtney had almost forgotten how small most cars were on the inside. The Uber she was currently riding in felt cramped, and the sleek, streamlined shapes of the vehicle seemed unimaginably foreign after hours spent riding shotgun in Willam’s Jeep.

She could almost hear Willam cursing at the other cars in her head, ready to lean on the horn or roll down the window to flip someone off at a moment’s notice. A few days ago, the image would’ve probably made her smile. A few days ago, she probably wouldn’t have been taking an Uber at all on her way to meet up with Alaska.

The radio was playing soft jazz, and the driver wasn’t a talker. Courtney couldn’t wait to get out of the car and out of her own head.

In the wake of her argument with Willam, Courtney felt entirely out of sorts, sure of almost nothing.

The only thing Courtney was sure of, though, was that time did _not_ heal all wounds. In fact, with each passing day, Courtney felt herself growing more and more restless and disheartened.

Every time Willam left a room as she entered, every time Willam’s gaze passed through her, Courtney’s stomach turned. The times when Willam did look at her, only to turn away quickly with lips pressed together the moment Courtney noticed, were even worse.

It was becoming increasingly clear to Courtney that none of this would just blow over like she’d hoped, and that Willam wasn’t likely to budge any time soon. Willam had shut her out completely, all of the walls that Courtney had taken down so carefully thrown back up instantly after their fight.

Courtney had started taking every opportunity to get out of the house. She visited the beach by herself a few times, attempting, in vain, to rid herself of the tanlines she’d garnered without being bombarded by images of Willam, naked by the pool. She tried to shop for clothes, but reminders of Willam filled every rack of shoes and dresses, every changing room.

She’d refrained from texting Alaska with her problems for a while, not wanting to relive the fight by relaying it to someone else and hoping to avoid the scrutiny of her best friend’s all-knowing gaze for as long as possible.

But the loneliness and deafening silence in the house had gotten the better of her, and here she was: slamming the door to her Uber and shouldering her way into the coffeeshop Alaska had picked as their meeting place, scanning the space before spotting her friend seated by the window with an espresso.

Alaska looked up from her drink to waggle her fingers at Courtney, her hair swept half-up to sit on top of her head, and Courtney smiled weakly back.  

“I’m gonna order,” Courtney mouthed to Alaska, pointing toward the coffee bar.

She readjusted the tote bag on her shoulder and made her way over to the register, squinting up at the menu on the wall and letting out a heavy sigh.

If Willam were here, she would’ve ordered for Courtney, proud of herself for remembering how many sugars Courtney took in her coffee without even having to ask. Willam always remembered the smallest, most arbitrary things about her, actually: the way she liked her toast in the morning, the songs to skip past on the radio because Courtney had mentioned disliking them.

She remembered the spots where Courtney was most ticklish, both to avoid them when she wanted to soothe her and to poke at them when she was trying to cheer her up.

She remembered all the places that made her toes curl.

“Miss?” the barista prodded kindly, bringing Courtney back to the present.

Courtney shook her head and swallowed, placed her usual order as quickly as she could. The barista’s pity was almost palpable, and Courtney realized that she probably looked a lot more sad and pathetic than she’d previously thought.

“On a scale of one to abandoned puppy on the side of the road in the rain, how pathetic do I look right now?” Courtney asked as she slid into the seat across from Alaska with her drink.

“Well,” Alaska started, eyeing her. “Abandoned puppies are usually at least cute, so probably something worse than that.”

“Wow, thanks.”

“You know I’m kidding, girl,” Alaska chuckled.

“Sorry, I know, just…” Courtney bit her lip, hands wrapped around her steaming cup to ground herself. “Willam hates me, is all.”

“Bull _shit_ , Court.”

“No, I’m serious,” Courtney said. “She hasn’t said a word to me in, like, days. And you’ve met her – she always has something to say.”

“Courtney,” Alaska sighed, setting down her coffee cup and fixing her gaze on Courtney. “Yes, I’ve met her. And my introduction to her came right after she spent nearly a minute literally eyefucking you right in front of me. I’m sure she doesn’t hate you.”

“But she does,” Courtney asserted, staring down at her drink. “Things are different now, Laska.”

“Mmm?”

“I mean, eyefucking is one thing, but…” Courtney chewed on her lower lip. “I don’t just want _that_ anymore. And I think that’s why she hates me.”

When Courtney glanced back over at Alaska, her friend’s eyebrows were raised, gaze scrutinous, and she suddenly felt the need to backtrack.

“No, I mean, I do want that, but I also can’t help but see her as, I don’t know,” Courtney paused, remembering how Willam had smiled proudly after getting her coffee order right. “See her as a girlfriend, or something. I just get caught up in, in her, and forget that she’s marrying my dad and…”

_And not me,_ she wanted to say. She squeezed her eyes shut, suppressing the tears threatening to spill out. Talking about it was just as bad as she’d thought it would be, and sitting here, at a quaint table for two, wasn’t helping her cause at all.

Coffee shops were ruined for her now, Courtney realized. They triggered a whole slew of memories of when she and Willam would stop for coffees after a shopping trip, the caffeine sometimes necessary to wake them back up after fucking in the backseat or in a changing room.

It was during those stops when Courtney had felt most like they were a couple. A real life, normal couple – free to go on dates, to hold hands in public, to steal kisses in between sips of coffee. Free to plan _their_ wedding together, with guest lists of only their friends, a menu that didn’t have to be elegant or expensive, and flowers in every color instead of in the simple pink and white theme that Dave and the wedding planner had decided on.

“So, how long have you known, then?” Alaska asked, her voice even and low.

Courtney scrunched her forehead, confused.

Alaska sighed heavily, and rolled her eyes.

“That you love her,” Alaska clarified. “How long have you known that you love her?”

It took a moment before Courtney could process what Alaska had said. She opened her mouth, intent on denying her friend’s words, but found her throat tight, her pulse quickening.

She thought back to all the mornings that she’d woken up to Willam sitting beside her, and the way Willam’s face would light up as soon as she opened her eyes.

And then there was the time when Willam had fallen asleep on the couch with her head in Courtney’s lap after an amusingly in-depth conversation about human anatomy, nose pressed into her tummy so her exhales tickled just a little bit. Her hair had been so unexpectedly soft and bouncy under Courtney’s hands, and Courtney had stayed there for hours, not wanting to move a muscle and risk waking Willam up.

She remembered the way her heart had leapt in her chest as she kissed Willam over the console at a red light, tasting bubblegum, feeling Willam smile against her lips instead of pulling away as the light turned green and people behind them honked their car horns impatiently.

Courtney was an honest person, and that was something she prided herself on. So she couldn’t, in good conscience, try to tell Alaska that she wasn’t head over heels in love with Willam Belli.

“So, I take it you didn’t know,” Alaska said dryly. “Until now, I mean.”

“Oh my god,” Courtney murmured.

“You’re so dense,” Alaska commented.

“I knew I shouldn’t have ever slept with her in the first place,” Courtney said, swallowing.

“Probably not.”

“She’s marrying my dad.”

“Yeah.”

“And she _hates_ me.” Courtney rested her head in her hands, felt the gravity of the situation crashing over her.  

“Maybe she wouldn’t if you’d actually _tell_ her how you feel,” Alaska suggested.

“She said that love doesn’t matter,” Courtney said, shaking her head. “I basically asked her to leave with me, like an idiot, and she laughed in my face.”

“She probably freaked out.”

“ _I’m_ freaking out,” Courtney said.

“Oh, really?” Alaska asked sarcastically. “I couldn’t tell.”

“Seriously, Alaska. What if she actually goes through with it? I can’t…” Courtney trailed off. “I don’t know that I can be there for that.”

“Well, the wedding’s only like a week away,” Alaska pointed out. “She’s probably gonna go through with it.”

“You’re no help,” Courtney whined, averting her eyes to look out the window. It was a nice day outside, sunny and cloudless, and Courtney couldn’t even attempt to enjoy it.

Right now, she loathed Alaska’s pragmatism, how she could be so _level-headed_ when the circumstances clearly called for a more emotional reaction. More than that, though, Courtney wished she could deny the truth to Alaska’s words.

Her situation was hopeless.

Alaska softened at that, reaching across the table to give Courtney’s wrist a squeeze.

“You should tell her,” Alaska repeated. “I think you’ll regret it if you don’t try.”

“You’re probably right,” Courtney admitted, “but I don’t know the next time I’ll even get a minute alone with her. Besides the fact that she’s _avoiding me_ , there’s all the wedding prep, and Farrah gets in in a couple days, and –”

“Oh, god, I forgot about Farrah.”

Courtney gave a single grim nod. “Dave made her a bridesmaid,” she said.

“Love that,” Alaska sneered.

“I mean, I’ve only met her once, and that was years ago,” Courtney pointed out. “Assuming she didn’t inherit most of our dad’s worst traits, she could be alright.”

“Probably not.”

“She was a nightmare of a suck up last time, though,” Courtney said. “So yeah, probably not.”

Alaska raised her coffee cup to that, and Courtney _clinked_ their mugs together before taking a long sip, practically burning her tongue in the process.

-

Over the course of the next few days, Courtney’s belief that Willam hated her was cemented even further.  

Every encounter with Willam resulted in radio silence. Somehow, the dull, expected ache now caused by her coldness was more painful than the sharper sting that had hit Courtney like a slap in the face every time Willam pointedly ignored her in the day or so after their argument.  

Watching and overhearing her interactions with Dave only upset Courtney more. The little fight that Willam had had left in her before was waning rapidly, her voice going soft again as she shied away from his shouting, head down and arms wrapped around her body.

Courtney wanted nothing more than to stand up for her, but Willam’s cold shoulder made it clear that she wanted to go it alone. Or, at least, that she didn’t want Courtney’s help or consolation.

Instead, Courtney busied herself with preparing the guest bedroom for Farrah, thinking about how much more fun it would’ve been if Willam had been doing it with her.

They would’ve put Willam’s shoes in her closet, just to see how she’d react. They would’ve fucked on the bed that would be hers and then, if Farrah turned out to be annoying, they’d be able to smile satisfiedly at each other, another secret that was just theirs to keep.

It wasn’t that Courtney had anything against Farrah. The product of one of her father’s early affairs, Farrah was the younger half-sister she’d never really asked for or wanted. Still, she seemed sweet enough for a 17-year-old – maybe a little _too_ sweet, if you asked Courtney.

It was fine, Courtney reasoned. She could babysit if she had to in the days leading up to the wedding – at least it would give her something to do. She shivered, continued to fluff up a pillow she’d been aggressively fluffing for minutes now.

Courtney couldn’t stand being unable to talk to Willam about Farrah – about all of it, really. Willam was the person she wanted to vent to, to gossip with, and having to distance herself was harder than she ever could’ve imagined.

Sometimes, Courtney suspected it was just as difficult for Willam, swearing that she could hear phantom footsteps stop right in front of her bedroom door at night, only to pad away after thinking better of entering.

Those moments were the only indication Courtney had to suggest that Willam wasn’t just going through the motions at this point.

Courtney could barely stomach this hollow shell of a Willam that seemed to sleepwalk around the mansion during the day, all vacant stares and sealed lips, forgoing her usual activities to slip an extra shot or two of liquor into her mid-afternoon Diet Coke.

Courtney noticed, even though she wasn’t supposed to.

And despite her best efforts not to, she couldn’t help imagining what things would be like after she left, with Willam all by herself except for an empty house and a husband who didn’t really care about her.

If the life was gone from her eyes now, then what would she become in five years? Ten?

What would happen when Dave replaced her like the trophy wife she was to him, as soon as she was all used up, no longer young and pretty enough to suit his needs anymore?

Courtney looked down at her hands, realized suddenly that she’d nearly beaten the pillow she’d been working on to a pulp. She dropped it and ran her fingers through her hair, taking a deep breath in through her nose.

Sinking down onto the bed, she stared at the blank wall opposite her, wringing her hands in her lap.

The whole house felt like a trap at this point, as big as it was, and Courtney was utterly exhausted from the constant ache of missing Willam. It was like living with her fight or flight response constantly active, her nerves shot from being so on edge, and she wanted to get out as quickly as she could.

But as she took a moment to think about Willam’s future as well as her own, she wasn’t sure she could handle the thought of leaving her here on her own. For the first time, she began to consider the possibility of apologizing to Willam and trying to return them to where they’d been before. Maybe she could survive not being anything more than an affair to Willam, if it kept Willam from being miserable. Maybe, with a little more time, Willam would change her mind.

Or maybe, their luck would run out and they’d get caught, and Willam would resent her for the rest of their lives.

Courtney grabbed the pillow next to her in frustration and hurled it across the room, startled when the sounding of the doorbell immediately followed.

She rose from the bed and trudged downstairs, entirely unprepared for the enthusiastic hug that met her as she swung open the front door.

“Oh my god, Courtney!” Farrah squealed in her ear.

As her brain caught up with what was going on, Courtney smelled hairspray and cheap perfume, feeling almost dizzy as the combination went to her head. Before she could even try to reciprocate the hug, Farrah was releasing her and stepping back, holding her at arm’s length.

Courtney grimaced at the wide smile frozen on Farrah’s face, wanting to move away but held captive by her surprisingly strong grip.

“You don’t look too good, honey,” Farrah said, her lower lip poking out slightly in a false pout. “Do you want another hug?”

“No, I’m –”

Ignoring her protests, Farrah pulled her in again, squeezing her and rocking them from side to side.

“You need to take care of yourself,” Farrah tsked, her eyelashes fluttering as she looked at Courtney, one thumb rubbing over the dark circles under her eyes. “You know why they call it beauty sleep, right?”

“Uh… no?”

“Because it’s only us _beautiful_ girls who need it!”

“I don’t think that’s why,” Courtney tried, but Farrah shook her head.

“Of course it is,” she said, pushing past Courtney and walking into the foyer. “Now, where’s Dad? And the lucky gold digger?”

“Did somebody say gold digger?” Willam’s voice filtered down the stairs, and Courtney glanced up to see her on the landing, resting her arms on the railing.

Willam had her head cocked to the side, and Courtney could practically feel the attitude radiating from her even a whole floor away. Courtney hadn’t seen Willam like this in what felt like weeks, and she was suddenly grateful for Farrah’s arrival.

“Ooh, hi!” Farrah exclaimed. “Are you Willam?”

“Well, unless you planned on calling me Mom,” Willam snarked, walking down the stairs. “But I’m too young and hot for that, so.”

“I guess we all have that in common!” Farrah chirped.

Willam reached the bottom of the steps, and Farrah shuffled over, clearly with the intention of trapping her in one of her hugs. Dodging the hug expertly and shooing Farrah away, Willam leaned against the banister. Courtney grinned.

“I have a mom anyways,” Farrah said with a forced giggle, clearly trying to recover from Willam’s rejection. “She’s not that much older than you, actually.”

“Ooh, I doubt that.”

“I mean, a bit older, I guess,” Farrah shrugged. “I think I must’ve gotten the pretty from Dad’s side of the family, though. Mom was cute enough to catch him, but not enough to reel him in.”

“Because she got herself knocked up,” Willam replied.

“Mm, you think so?” Farrah seemed genuinely curious, and Courtney couldn’t believe how easy she was making it for Willam to read her.

“Pregnancy ain’t cute,” Willam said. “And it fucks with your body, too. That baby bump never goes away completely, and once you got it, the mens move on to flatter stomachs and perkier tits.”

As she spoke, Willam tugged at her dress, pulling it down ever so slightly to reveal more of her cleavage.

Farrah faltered for a second. “Oh, you’re _funny_ ,” she said, before turning to Courtney. “She’s a funny one, isn’t she?”

“Not usually the word women use to describe me, but I’ll take it,” Willam said, smirking.

Courtney swallowed hard. There were plenty of other words that came to her mind, none of which she could say aloud.

“I’m just so excited to finally be here with you guys,” Farrah continued, clasping her hands together by her chest. “We’re gonna have _so_ much fun.”

“Wow, you’re the real deal, ain’t you?” Willam smiled amusedly as she looked at Farrah. “I had to act extra dumb and blonde to get the ring, but you wouldn’t even have to put in any extra effort.”

Farrah stared at her for a moment, and then shrugged and laughed.

Glancing over Farrah’s shoulder, Willam caught Courtney’s eye, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she saw how hard Courtney was trying to suppress her own giggles.

When Courtney blinked, the moment was gone – but a small smile remained on Willam’s lips, and Courtney could feel her pulse speed up in response, butterflies swarming in her stomach briefly as she recognized the Willam she’d met at the start of the summer, the one she’d hated on sight and then quickly learned to love.  

-

Courtney’s ideal afternoon wouldn’t have been spent getting poked and prodded, measured and sized – and it definitely wouldn’t have entailed being stuck in a room with Farrah, listening to her half-sister chatter endlessly about nothing in particular.

Courtney knew that she herself could be talkative at times, but it seemed that she had absolutely nothing on Farrah. In the day and a half that they’d spent together, Courtney had learned virtually all of her interests, as well as her whole life story, which wasn’t entirely uninteresting. Being born to a Las Vegas showgirl and raised by her and her coworkers, as it turned out, was an unconventional and exciting life.

However, despite all of that, Farrah had managed to turn out shallow, dense, and ditzy enough that Courtney was convinced she would set feminism back at least ten years in her lifetime.

“Are we almost done here, do you think?” Courtney said, struggling to keep her tone pleasant as she looked down at the seamstress currently toying with the hemline of her bridesmaid’s dress. She understood that last-minute alterations were necessary, but the amount of time they were taking seemed excessive.

The seamstress shot her a look in the full-length mirror propped against the wall in the guest bedroom, and Courtney sighed.

“Have you seen Willam’s dress yet?” Farrah asked off to her left.

“I was with her when she picked it out,” Courtney said wistfully, remembering the two of them pouring through wedding planning magazines at the bar until Willam had found the perfect dress.  

“I haven’t seen it either,” Farrah continued, ignoring Courtney’s response. “Oh my god, I bet she looks _so_ pretty, we have to go see when we’re done. I heard it has _diamonds_ on it.”

“It doesn’t have diamonds on it,” Courtney replied dryly.

“It must’ve been so expensive,” Farrah gushed. “Can you imagine, wearing a dress like that? This whole wedding is just, ugh, _goals_.”

“I guess,” Courtney sighed.

Farrah frowned. “What, you don’t think so?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think,” Courtney said after a moment. “I’m not the one getting married.”

“Aw, Courtney,” Farrah cooed. “It’s okay, you’ll find the perfect man someday. And it shouldn’t take too long, with how cute you are!”

Courtney stared at her own reflection in the mirror, blinking. It was truly stunning how completely Farrah had managed to miss the mark. She almost wanted to laugh.

“Thanks, Farrah,” she said finally.

There were a few moments of silence, and Courtney watched the seamstress working at the bottom of Farrah’s dress, trying to figure out what was taking her so long.

“So what’s the deal with you and Willam, anyway?” Farrah spoke up again.

Courtney’s stomach dropped, and she watched the color drain from her own face. Had she said something? Was the tension between them really still that obvious?

“Like, do you guys get along?” Farrah continued. “Do you think she’s a good fit for Dad?”

“Oh,” Courtney sighed, relieved. “Yeah, we… get along fine.”

“Huh, it doesn’t seem like it,” Farrah said. “You guys, like, never talk. Or look at each other, or anything.”

Courtney wanted to roll her eyes all the way into the back of her head. She didn’t owe Farrah an explanation, and she knew that – but it wasn’t as if Farrah would pick on up any subtext, and so Courtney figured there was no harm in giving her something.

“It’s just complicated,” Courtney said, choosing her words carefully. “I don’t think Dad is a good fit for _her_ , actually. He’s not the nicest guy in the world, Farrah.”

Farrah looked at the ground, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I know,” she said finally, her tone surprisingly serious. “I’ve always known that.”

She glanced up, and Courtney met her gaze in the mirror, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

“It’s not just your mom he screwed over, Courtney,” Farrah said. “My mom got pregnant with me by accident, and then brought me up herself with no support from him at all till I was like, ten, and she doesn’t make that much money. And she sent him letters, too, like, every month, trying to remind him that I even existed.”

Courtney shook her head.

“I blamed you and your mom for my parents’ problems for a long time,” Courtney admitted. “You know, you were the evidence my mom needed to finally leave him, and I didn’t want to leave LA then.”

“I get it,” Farrah said, nodding. “I was jealous of you for most of my whole life. I wanted to be you, because I thought you had the perfect life, with a dad who loved you and stuff.”

“Dad’s never loved anyone,” Courtney murmured.  

“Really?”

“He never loved me, not really,” Courtney said. “Or my mom. And he’s not marrying Willam because he loves her, either.”

“Well, that’s sad,” Farrah pouted.

“I think she’s gonna end up hurt,” Courtney added quietly, closing her eyes momentarily. “And I don’t want that to happen, because I… I care about her, a lot. More than I probably should.”

Farrah looked over at her, as if she had more to say, but was interrupted by the seamstress getting to her feet with a smile.

“Alright, girls, we’re all done here!”

Courtney was thankful for the out, her pulse pounding in her ears as she hastily slid out of the gown and back into regular clothes before she said too much. She felt short of breath, suddenly desperate for a minute alone to collect herself and her thoughts.

She scurried out into the hallway, ignoring Farrah’s request to wait for her. Her intentions to retreat to her bedroom were derailed almost immediately, though, as she heard Willam’s voice coming from inside the master bedroom.

“You poked me, bitch, _ow_.”

Courtney felt herself gravitate toward the half-open door without thinking, stopping just beyond the threshold of the bedroom to look inside.

As she caught sight of Willam, everything stopped for a moment. She would’ve gasped, but it was as if she’d forgotten how, completely enamored by Willam’s silhouette in the mermaid cut gown, the sweetheart neckline that perfectly complemented the beading on the bodice. Her profile was striking as she looked downwards, lips parted and hair piled messily atop her head, arms lifted slightly away from her body as if touching the dress might damage it somehow.

She was the most beautiful woman that Courtney had ever seen.

The seamstress took a step back, as if to admire her handwork, drawing a circle in the air with her finger. Willam spun, the skirt flaring out below her knees, and her face opened up as she smiled, wide and genuine, a delighted laugh bubbling up in her chest. Courtney watched with her heart in her throat, unable to shake the feeling that the smile, the laughter, was meant for _her_.  

Farrah seemed to approve of the gown, too, appearing abruptly behind Courtney to express her praise.

“Oh my god,” Farrah squealed. “It’s perfect!”

Willam’s head lifted quickly in surprise. Her gaze passed right over Farrah, not even acknowledging her, settling on Courtney instead.

Courtney knew that her expression was probably as easy to read as an open book, and she didn’t care in the slightest. If anything, she hoped that Willam could feel the weight of her emotion, how much she cared, and wanted, and _loved._

They stood there, eyes locked, for what felt like minutes, before Willam looked away, twisting her hands together in front of her.

The dismissal stung, but Courtney was still reluctant to give up. She was sure, now, that she couldn’t go back to the way things were before.

Even if there was no happy ending, Willam needed to know how she felt. Or else, Courtney thought that her chest might burst from keeping all of it inside.

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miss Bianca’s A/N: So I’ve been calling this chapter the emotional climax of the whole fic, and it really is. I hope you’re ready. As always, let us know what you think – on AQ, ao3, or on our blogs, @willamdelrio and @artificial-jazz <3
> 
> jazz’s A/N: Fair warning, this labor of love is 9k words, featuring drunk Courtney, some Emotional conversations, and a rehearsal dinner! Thanks for being so patient with us, & we hope this chapter is worth the wait!

Farrah’s capacity to be loud in the morning was truly stunning. She’d been calling shrilly from downstairs for a few minutes now, and despite the fact that Courtney was already dressed and ready for whatever pointless adventure Farrah had in mind for them today, it was far too early to be shouting at that volume.

From the look on Willam’s face, it seemed like she agreed.

Courtney watched her amble out of her room to the top of the stairs, imagining for a moment that the two of them were walking toward each other, rather than just toward the same destination. That they’d meet in the middle, Willam glancing around before leaning in to kiss her softly, a secretive smile on her full lips.

Willam stopped as soon as she reached the edge of the staircase, gripping the banister and looking back at Courtney for the first time. Her gaze ran up Courtney’s body to meet her eyes, and Courtney watched as she swallowed and shifted her feet.

There were words on tip of Courtney’s tongue, and over and over again, she almost spoke.  _Farrah’s worse than an alarm clock. I hope she won’t make us take a walk today – your shoes aren’t made for that. You should wear jeans like that more often, you look amazing. The blue suits your eyes._

Eventually, she closed her mouth, and Willam turned to walk down the stairs. Courtney followed a few steps behind, her eyes glued to Willam’s back. There was a faux fox tail clipped to Willam’s belt loop and Courtney fought the urge to twist the soft fur in her fingers, tug it to pull Willam in so she could kiss her jaw, hear her laugh.

It felt like years, rather than just weeks, that she’d been unable to touch Willam – or even talk to her, for that matter. Every time Courtney nearly worked up the nerve to do so, to try to explain everything she’d been feeling and thinking, she chickened out. Farrah’s constant presence leading up to the wedding didn’t help much, either, with the younger girl occupying every free moment they had under the guise of “bonding.”

Somehow, after being forced into going for mani-pedis as a unit, Farrah carrying the conversation for all three of them, Courtney just didn’t feel like the moment would be right.

As she followed Willam into the kitchen, Courtney forced herself to accept that there would probably never be a right moment to bare her heart and soul to Willam – even though she thought she might explode from not saying anything if this went on for too much longer.

“Finally!” Farrah exclaimed in a high-pitched whine, rolling her eyes dramatically. “Gosh, I thought you might’ve gone deaf.”

“Yeah, we just might, if you don’t find a lower octave,” Willam grumbled. “What do you want today, anyway?”

“I have  _so_  many ideas, and they’re all so good, and Dad can afford  _all_  of them.”

“Oh, boy,” Courtney said under her breath.

“How do we feel about an apothecary blending party?” Farrah looked from Willam to Courtney, eyebrows raised expectantly.

“I’m sorry,” Courtney said, resting her hands on the bar. “A what?”

“Or a yoga hike, if you’re into that sorta thing?”

Courtney glanced over at Willam to see the other woman looking back at her, a dumbfounded expression on her face.

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me,” Willam muttered.

Courtney nearly snorted, pressing her lips together and just barely managing to keep a straight face. Willam was surprisingly attractive when she was annoyed, Courtney noted.

She furrowed her brow, quickly averting her eyes and fixing her gaze on the countertop instead. Courtney couldn’t allow herself to find Willam this endearing, not now – not when so much was at stake, when it would only make things that much harder if Willam rejected her again.

”Come on, guys, there’s only a few days left till the wedding,” Farrah said, almost whining. “This is what bridal parties do nowadays!”

“In what world?” Willam shook her head and pushed past Farrah, reaching for the refrigerator. “I need a damn drink.”

“It’s 10am,” Farrah pointed out, pouting.

Willam ignored her, moving to the counter with a bottle of tomato juice in hand. Out of the corner of her eye, Courtney watched Willam’s tiny black tank top inch upward as she grabbed a glass from an overhead cupboard, revealing a patch of tanned skin on her lower back.

“Why don’t you wanna have a little fun?” Farrah tried, sounding genuinely hurt.

“I do,” Willam said. “But my version of fun’s actually…  _fun_.” She smirked, gesturing to the bottle of vodka whose cap she was currently unscrewing.

Farrah narrowed her eyes. “Courtney, tell Willam she’s being a real party pooper.”

Courtney grimaced at the mounting tension in the room, so thick she could practically cut it with a knife. She kept quiet, unsure of how she was supposed to respond.

Willam placed a hand on her hip and slowly turned to face Farrah with a scowl. “Courtney,” she mimicked, “Tell Farrah she’s a huge pain in my –”

“Brunch!” Courtney exclaimed suddenly, clasping her hands together. “Let’s do brunch!” Her cheeks were burning from Willam’s mere acknowledgement of her presence, and she hoped that no one would notice.

“Brunch?” Willam raised an eyebrow.

“Yes,” Courtney nodded. Willam’s eyes were still on her, and she felt like squirming. “It’s a thing girls do together, there’s alcohol. Everybody wins!”

Farrah was blinking at her, and there was silence for a moment.

“You’re so smart, Courtney,” Farrah gushed finally, grabbing her arm. “Brunch is a  _great_  idea.”

Courtney glanced over at Willam, who shrugged.

“Better than a  _yoga hike_ ,” she snarked, imitating Farrah’s tone.

As Willam began to replace the bottles she’d taken out, Farrah practically skipped out of the room to get her purse. The slight relief Courtney felt at diffusing the situation was quickly replaced by a sense of apprehension. Willam would  _have_ to talk to her at brunch. Maybe with the assistance of a mimosa – or two or three – Willam would learn to tolerate Courtney’s company, maybe even soften a bit.

Or maybe, after she’d had a bit to drink herself, Courtney would actually be brave enough to come out and say what she needed to.

Courtney slipped out into the foyer to avoid the inevitable awkwardness of Willam’s cold shoulder, sinking down onto the ottoman and resting her chin on her fists. Upstairs, Farrah could be heard moving around and talking to herself, but Courtney’s attention was drawn to the definitive sound of Willam’s heels on the kitchen tile. The clicking came to a stop, and she could picture Willam resting her forearms on a counter, one foot kicking up absentmindedly as she squinted down at a notification on her phone.

“Ready?” Farrah’s voice was unexpectedly right next to Courtney, making her jump.

“Just waiting on Willam,” Courtney said.

“What’s taking her so long?”

“I can hear you, y’know,” Willam said flatly, and Courtney heard the jingle of her keys as she walked out into the foyer. “Didn’t realize we were rushing,  _sorry_.”

“Oh, we’re not!” Farrah chirped. “Do you wanna wait?”  

“Just shut up.” Willam rolled her eyes. “I got the keys, let’s go.”

Willam unlocked the front door like it had done something to personally offend her, and Courtney stifled a giggle. Her Jeep was parked in the driveway, and Farrah made a beeline for the passenger seat, only stopping when Willam cleared her throat and glared pointedly at her, reminding all three of them that the youngest had been banned from riding shotgun after her chattering had nearly driven Willam to collide with a delivery truck the day before. Sighing, Farrah tugged open the door to the backseat instead.

After a moment of hesitation, Courtney made her way over to the front seat, wondering if Willam might also be feeling the same anxious buzz at the familiarity of it all. If she might also be remembering how Courtney used to put her feet up on the dashboard, settling in as if she were meant to be there, situated right next to Willam.  

Willam glanced up at her as Courtney buckled her seatbelt, and their eyes met. Courtney almost expected her to smile, reach across the console and squeeze Courtney’s thigh for a few seconds too long to make up for the kiss she couldn’t give her where neighbors might see.

Courtney’s heart was in her throat as Willam’s mouth opened slightly, like she was about to speak – and then, Willam’s lashes fluttered, and she looked away, her face remaining hard and expressionless.

“Um… is something the matter?” Farrah spoke up suspiciously, making her presence known.

“Shit, girl, I dunno,” Willam said quickly. “Is there  _something the matter_  with keeping your mouth shut for more than a minute at a time?”

The corner of Courtney’s mouth twitched in a smile, and Willam started the car.

When they pulled out into the street, Farrah was already babbling away, and Courtney mentally turned her volume all the way down, tuning her out as she’d learned to do in the week since she’d arrived. It was obvious that Willam was having a bit more trouble doing the same thing, and after a few minutes of making faces, she switched on the radio decisively, effectively drowning Farrah out.

As they drove, it quickly became clear that Willam was still determined to ignore Courtney completely, unless she had no choice but to speak to her. Although she’d tried not to get her hopes up, Courtney could still feel her heart sink just a little in her chest. She did her best to look straight ahead, focus on the lines on the road rather than on Willam’s profile.

It was more difficult than she’d imagined, and she felt her gaze moving to the other woman frequently, slipping back into Willam’s orbit, her gravitational pull too strong to resist.

She wasn’t chewing gum today, occupying herself by mouthing the words to the song playing on the radio instead. It wasn’t long before Courtney realized that she was actually singing quietly, almost under her breath, and Courtney found herself leaning subtly closer in an effort to hear better. Willam’s head was nodding slightly in time with the beat of the song, and her lips were mesmerizing, a dark reddish pink, tongue poking out to wet them every so often.

Courtney was disappointed when the song ended, and even more so when the ‘song of the summer’ that she couldn’t stand began to blare through the car. Before she could even groan about how overplayed the single was, Willam had already changed the station, just like she always used to, before things had gotten so complicated between the two of them.

Before Willam had stopped caring about Courtney’s preferences and quirks and habits – or, at least, had pretended to.

She didn’t look at Courtney as she fiddled with the radio, her face remaining neutral as if nothing had happened. But Courtney knew better, and she hid a small smile behind her hand for the rest of the drive.

Willam decided on a trendy brunch spot sandwiched in between Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, an outdoor venue with impressive views of the city and, much to Courtney’s surprise, a menu with plenty of vegan options. Willam said it made her feel like “a socialite or some shit,” and Courtney couldn’t argue with that.

Their waiter seated them at a shaded table, and Courtney’s stomach lurched as Willam chose the seat next to hers.

Farrah took her time settling herself across from them, scooting her chair over in an attempt to place herself at the middle of the table, as if it were her desk and she’d called the two of them there simply to give her attention. After a moment, Courtney realized that wasn’t too far from the truth.

“Since you’re the bride-to-be,” Farrah beamed at Willam, reaching across the table to swat her arm, “Your first drink’s on me!”

“Gross,” Willam muttered into the menu.

“What?” Farrah said with a laugh. “Can’t a girl do something nice for her soon-to-be stepmother?”

“Okay, don’t ever call me that again,” Willam said sharply. “Or bride-to-be. Makes me sound like I’m a delivery, like you could put a bow or vanilla icing on me or something.”

_So you’re saying you wouldn’t be into that?_  Courtney almost quipped, imagining herself batting her eyes at Willam teasingly. But it was impossible to miss the seriousness hiding under the surface of Willam’s words, and Courtney couldn’t help but over-analyze what that might mean.

Keeping her mouth shut, Courtney studied the list of beverages – boozy bellinis and bloody marys – until her eyes glazed over, until the phrase “bride-to-be” quit ringing in her ears. Willam’s presence next to her was palpable, and Courtney could practically feel her shifting annoyedly in her seat.

It would never get easier, Courtney realized: accepting Willam’s status as someone else’s fiance, hearing her actual relationship discussed so casually like this. In fact, it would probably only get more difficult, as that relationship was about to become even more solid very soon.

Without thinking, her hand shot up to call over the waiter, a tight smile pulling at her lips.

“A mimosa, please?” she said, her voice coming out much higher than she’d intended.

He nodded politely, reaching into his apron pocket to retrieve a small pad of paper. “And to eat, miss?” he asked, pen hovering over the booklet.

“Oh, uh…” Courtney swallowed. “I’m actually not all that hungry right now.”

She swore she could feel Willam’s eyes on her, and she looked down at her hands. Thankfully, neither Farrah or Willam made a comment, leaving Courtney to fiddle with the silvery charms on her bracelet and count the seconds until the waiter returned with the mimosa that she then promptly downed half of before the other girls were even finished ordering their food.

Farrah eyed Courtney’s half-empty glass. She was quick to plaster a smile onto her face, but not before Courtney caught the distasteful tilt of her lips. She took another sip of her drink for good measure, making sure to stare Farrah down as she did so. There was a snort beside her, and she glanced over to see Willam inspecting her nails disinterestedly.

“Thirsty?” she smirked.

Courtney crossed her legs slowly, letting her head loll to the side to look at Willam, directly enough to knock the air out of her lungs, just a little bit.

“Like you’re not?”  

Willam’s lips parted as if she was about to speak, tongue running over her teeth.

“Um…” Farrah was glancing between the two of them, a brow raised curiously.

As if she’d been shocked, Willam jumped slightly and looked away. Cursing internally, Courtney squeezed her glass, taking another gulp to obscure her annoyed expression and avoid any remarks from Farrah about her bad attitude.

“So, how’s this gonna go down?” Farrah asked briskly.

“Say what now?” Willam replied.

“The rehearsal dinner,” Farrah prompted, and Courtney’s gut twisted. “What are our jobs, you know, as bridesmaids?”

Willam sighed. “Girl, I dunno. I didn’t plan shit. I don’t even know what the point is, it’s not like any of my family’s coming to meet his, or nothing.”

“I mean, it is tomorrow,” Farrah said. “You must have  _some_  idea.”

“It’s a formality, and it’s only happening because we have money,” Courtney cut in finally, downing the rest of her mimosa and resting her head on her fist. “The rich colleagues and relatives who are distant enough to still tolerate Dad come and fawn over the fact that he’s rented out the ballroom and paid for catering for an extra night, just because he can.”

“Wow,” Farrah marveled, sounding genuinely impressed. “Sounds so…  _fancy_.”

Courtney summoned the waiter with a raised hand, and pointed at her now-empty mimosa glass, ignoring the way Willam looked at her sharply.

“Oh, and there’s speeches,” she added. “Lots of speeches. Me, Dave, whatever asshole he’s picked as best man… fuck knows who else.”

“Wait, do I have a speech?” Willam asked, worried.

“As if he’d let you get a word in,” Courtney said bitterly. “He’ll just want you to sit there and look pretty.”

Farrah gasped melodramatically, and Courtney took her second mimosa from the waiter’s hand as soon as he reached the table. If the comment bothered Willam, she hardly let on, nodding curtly and leaning back into her chair, crossed arms and spread legs.

Willam would, without a doubt, look absolutely gorgeous at the rehearsal dinner. Courtney didn’t trust herself enough not to take one look at her tomorrow night and forget how to speak, buckle at the knees, get sick – or some unfortunate combination of the three. That’s why, after denying the rapidly approaching event for as long as possible, she’d written up a small notecard, a mostly impersonal toast with a touch of sentimentality that her father would approve of.

She lifted her drink to her lips, enjoying the momentary refuge of the bubbles that went straight to her head. As Farrah assured Willam, in a tone that was more than a little bit patronizing, that both the rehearsal and the “big day” would be magical, Courtney tapped out of the conversation, which was more one-sided than anything. She looked around, feeling warm and slow, eyes settling on a couple at a nearby table. They seemed happy, fingers linked and knees bumping lazily, and Courtney smiled sadly.

That could’ve been her and Willam, once – back when Courtney had first returned home, and Willam had had the audacity to slide her foot up Courtney’s leg at the family dinner table. She wished she’d appreciated it more then, wished she could’ve known the chain reaction of heat and desire that the gesture would set off, bursting like fireworks in Courtney’s chest each time she saw Willam in the months that followed.

She threw back the remainder of her drink in a few large gulps.

“Slow down there, princess,” Willam commented, her voice low, as she took a sip of her own bloody mary.

The glass nearly slipped out of Courtney’s hand, and her eyes widened, pulse speeding up at the familiar pet name. Willam wasn’t even looking at her, focusing instead on a flaw in the repurposed wooden table, the pad of her thumb rubbing over the scratch slowly.

“‘M not a kid, Willam,” Courtney managed to say once her throat was less dry, crossing her legs tightly.

Willam wet her lips and curled her hand into a fist.

“I didn’t say you were, did I?” she rasped. “I know better than that.”

Courtney’s stomach did a backflip. The heat flooding her veins was from more than just alcohol at this point, and she could tell that her cheeks were going pink, her lower lip probably bruising red from pulling it between her teeth. The pent up sexual frustration from the weeks of only being able to watch Willam from afar was coming to a head, and now that Willam’s attention was finally on her again, it was impossible to keep it under the surface.

Before she could stop herself, she was reaching out to ghost her fingers over Willam’s thigh, so subtly that not even Farrah would notice.

Something flashed behind Willam’s eyes that Courtney couldn’t quite catch, and then Willam was shoving herself away from the table and standing up.

“What’s going on?” Farrah questioned, her eyes slightly narrowed.

“I gotta, um – bathroom,” Willam said, before spinning around and walking away rapidly.

Courtney’s head was spinning at the sudden shift in atmosphere – or maybe from the lack of food in her system – and she gripped the arms of her chair to steady herself for a moment before pushing herself to her feet. Snatching Willam’s half-finished bloody mary off the table on impulse, she stumbled after the other woman, ignoring Farrah calling her name behind her.

The little rationality left in Courtney’s brain wasn’t enough to stop her, and after a precarious rush through the tables, she was falling haphazardly into the bathroom and slamming the door shut behind her. She swallowed hard as her vision spun, suddenly becoming very aware of how much champagne she’d had in such a short amount of time. She tasted Willam’s drink, wrinkling her nose at the acidity but taking a few more sips regardless.

Willam, who was leaning on the marble sinks and staring at herself in the mirror, quickly turned her gaze towards Courtney at the loud noise. Her shoulders sunk, and she sighed.

“Why’d you leave?” Courtney asked, speaking slowly in an effort to make her heavy tongue cooperate.

“Courtney…”

“No, no, that’s not the right question,” Courtney backtracked, waving her free hand and wobbling a little as she drank more. “Why – why don’t you want me?”

“You gotta stop drinking,” Willam said by way of response.

Courtney took another sip instead, letting her lower lip push out in a pout as she stared Willam down, daring her to do something. Willam only sighed again, looking down at her hands as they gripped the edge of the marble counter.

“Why don’t you want me any – anymore, Will’m?” Courtney asked again, squeezing the glass tightly and moving over to lean on the counter for stability.

“Don’t be stupid, Court,” Willam muttered.

“So you  _do_  want me?”

Willam’s forehead was scrunched, like it physically pained her to think of a response. Courtney wanted to stamp her foot, demand an answer, and raised the glass to her lips again instead. It was empty.

“You’re making this harder than it’s gotta be,” Willam said finally.

“ _I’m_  making it harder?” Courtney could hear her own voice growing louder, and she wasn’t sure she had the ability to control it or the capacity to care who heard.

“Yeah, you fucking are.” Willam’s tone was sharp, ready for a fight, and Courtney could feel her lower lip start to quiver in response.

“ _Me_?” she demanded, trying to keep her words as aggressive as Willam’s, not wanting to risk appearing as pathetic and desperate as she felt. “Who’s the one who’s been – who’s been refusing to talk to me, or even look at me, for weeks?”

“I –”

“Who’s the one who jumped up like I’d burned her and ran for the hills when I  _dared_  to touch her just now?”

“What do you want me to say, Court?” Willam exploded finally. She’d taken a step closer, rendering Courtney immobile. “I thought I made myself pretty fucking clear last time we got into a shouting match, and it’s not like anything’s changed since then.”

“I dunno,” Courtney shot back, her head spinning as she tried to ignore the implications of what Willam was saying. “I thought that maybe, maybe after being on your own all this time, something would be different.”

Willam only shook her head slightly and looked down at the floor, her lips set in a hard line, brow lowered.

“Don’t  _do_  that, Will!” she exclaimed, feeling the moisture build up in the corners of her eyes, helpless to stop it. “Look at me, come on. I dunno what you’re thinking, just – just say anything, don’t shut me out again. Please.”

She took an unsteady step toward Willam, blinking back the frustrated tears as the other woman moved backwards, like the glass Courtney was holding was a weapon and letting her get too close might injure them both.

“Jus’ say _something_!” Courtney’s voice cracked on the last syllable, punctuated by a hiccup. She deflated at that, bringing a hand to her chest to catch her breath and swaying in place. She could feel the few tears rolling down her cheeks, and she wiped at them furiously.

Willam seemed to soften, too, some of the tension leaving her body, her lips parting slightly. When she finally met Courtney’s gaze, her eyes were almost worried, teeth digging gently into her lower lip.

“Maybe now’s not the best time to do this,” she said carefully. “Have you had any water at all today? Or eaten anything?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Courtney set down the glass and crossed her arms defiantly.

“You’ve had two big ass mimosas and half my bloody mary, Court,” Willam said, taking a few tentative steps towards her. “And we haven’t even been here an hour yet. I know how booze works better than most people, and you’re pretty small.”

“I’m fine,” Courtney insisted. “Jus’ tipsy.”

“Uh huh,” Willam said, a small, almost affectionate smile hiding in the corner of her mouth. After another moment of hesitation, she bridged the rest of the gap between them, and offered Courtney her arm to balance on. “Here.”

Despite her stubbornness, Courtney’s heart swelled at the excuse to be close to Willam, and she gratefully leaned against her. Unsurprisingly, the long-awaited contact made her feel even less steady than before, and she found herself allowing Willam to support a good deal of her weight as the other woman led them toward the bathroom door.

“I probably look awful,” Courtney protested weakly, wiping at her eyes with her spare hand.

“You never look awful,” Willam replied, her voice soft. Courtney’s stomach fluttered, and she hiccuped again.  

Willam guided her through the maze of tables, back to where Farrah was waiting. When Willam’s arm dropped back to her side, Courtney frowned, wanting to stay close to her.

“Oh, there you are!” Farrah exclaimed. “Willam, your food’s getting cold.”

“Sucks,” she said, gesturing over to Courtney with a head nod and digging into her clutch to pull out her wallet.

“But we’re not done!” Farrah protested.

“Yeah, we are.”

Willam reached for Farrah’s water glass, handing it to Courtney. As Courtney reluctantly drank, Willam dropped a wad of cash on the table, not bothering to ask for a check.

“Come on,” Willam said, giving Farrah a look.

With a dramatic sigh, Farrah pushed out her chair. “Didn’t imagine this would be cut so short,” she complained, eyeing Courtney.

“Just shut up, Farrah,” Courtney said thickly, the words slipping out without her permission. “You don’t even know what you’re talking about, or how much you don’t know, so maybe you should just –”

“Okay, okay,” Willam cut in, eyes widening as her hand wrapped around Courtney’s forearm.

With her other arm sliding around Courtney’s waist, Willam ushered the three of them out of the cafe. The closeness of Willam’s body to hers had Courtney dizzy – or maybe that was the alcohol, she couldn’t really be sure. She turned to look at Willam, pressing nearer, and the scent of coconut swept over her, making her lightheaded.

Farrah was pointedly silent, seemingly in protest, but with Willam’s fingers locked on her hip, Courtney couldn’t bring herself to care about much else.

Courtney dozed for most of the car ride home, vision focusing every so often on Willam and occasionally catching her looking back, brow furrowed and eyes soft. Farrah was chattering as usual, but this time, Willam seemed too preoccupied with keeping an eye on Courtney to pay her any mind. The attention made Courtney feel warm all over, every instinct telling her to lean across the console, reach for Willam.

As soon as they pulled into the driveway, Willam had shut the car off and slid out of her seat. Courtney opened her door and started to get out, feeling a bit more stable after dozing in the car. Almost before her feet hit the ground, Willam’s arm was around her again, practically scooping her up and leading her up the stairs to the front door. Courtney opened her mouth, about to protest, but Willam spoke before she could.

“C’mon, let’s get you inside,” Willam murmured, and Courtney felt her thumb rubbing her side gently. “This is my fault, I shoulda been paying more attention at brunch.”

Courtney shut her mouth and leaned her head on Willam’s shoulder.

Farrah could be heard huffing and slamming the car door behind them, and Courtney smiled despite herself. Even though she could probably make it up the stairs to her room on her own, Courtney knew that Willam was too focused on her to snap at Farrah for mistreating her Jeep, and she wanted to keep it that way.

It wasn’t until they were in the safety of her own bedroom, Courtney deposited on her bed, that Courtney spoke up again.

“Willam?”

“Yeah?”

Courtney gnawed on her lower lip, wrapping her arms around her legs to pull them towards her chest. Willam was leaning against her bed, one hand running through her hair as she looked at Courtney – really, truly looked at her, for the first time in what felt like forever.

“D’you… do you hate me?”

“What?” Willam frowned slightly, as if Courtney’s question was so far off the mark that she hadn’t even considered that she might ask it.

“Because I don’t hate you,” Courtney continued. “I don’t think I could, and even if I did, it wouldn’t be, like, for real, because I – I mean, I…”

She trailed off, sighing.  _I love you._

“Court…”

“Do you hate me?” Courtney asked again. “I know I’m drunk or whatever, but you don’t have to coddle me. I’d probably deserve it, if you did.”

“No,” Willam sighed, shaking her head, hand messing up her hair in the process. “No, of course I don’t hate you. You’re the… you’re the best thing, Courtney. The best.”  

Courtney felt her eyes well up with tears again, and she reached out her hand slowly, praying that Willam would take it.

“Then stay.”

The remainders of Willam’s cool composure shattered, her face crumpling as she sank down to sit on the mattress in front of Courtney.

“ _Baby_ ,” she exhaled shakily.  

She was within reach now, and Courtney slid her fingers over her cheekbone, caressing the skin as gently as if it were a butterfly’s wing. Willam’s head tilted forwards, knocking against hers, and Courtney cupped her cheek to hold her still. She could hear Willam breathing, and her own heartbeat alongside it, the two of them broken wide open, foreheads pressed together.

“Stay with me,” Courtney murmured, her voice barely there. “Please?”

Willam shut her eyes tight, placing a hand on top of Courtney’s where it rested on her face.

“I’m sorry.”

Willam’s voice was hardly more than a whisper, and then she was slipping away like sand through Courtney’s fingers, the contact disappearing as she stood and composed herself once more. Courtney’s chest felt tight, as if she couldn’t get enough air.

“Willam…” she trailed off as she caught Willam’s eye, imploring her not to go.

Willam’s lower lip quivered, but she caught it between her teeth. Shaking her head, she backed away, and Courtney could see her throat move as she swallowed. The diamond on her ring finger caught the sunlight coming through Courtney’s windows as she turned around to open the door, and then she was gone.

-

A whole day later, and Willam still hadn’t said anything about it.

After Willam had shut the door on Courtney yesterday, Courtney was left alone, reeling, and more than a little queasy. Willam had sent Farrah up with two aspirin, a water, and a plate of food later that night, but there had been no indication otherwise that Willam wanted to acknowledge Courtney’s existence – or their earlier interactions – at all.

Courtney, on the other hand, couldn’t seem to  _stop_  thinking about it – Willam, and the ghost sensation of her hands on her body, and how she’d spoken to Courtney in her bedroom, vulnerable and real.

Now, sitting in the front seat of Willam’s Jeep again, Courtney messed with the top layer of bejeweled tulle on her dress with unsteady hands. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Willam still cared about her, that much was clear.

But Willam was also en route to her own rehearsal dinner, because she was still engaged to be married. To someone else. Namely, Courtney’s father.

After the last few days, Courtney wasn’t sure of much – but she was almost positive that she couldn’t handle being present when Willam said her  _I do’s_ , effectively throwing her life away. And if their encounter the previous day hadn’t managed to crack Willam’s stubborn armor, Courtney didn’t know what would.

Part of her wanted to book a flight to somewhere far away as soon as they returned from the rehearsal dinner, maybe the east coast, or even Seattle to stay with Adore. But then she stared at Willam in the driver’s seat, thought back to how the other woman had taken care of her after brunch, and she couldn’t seem to picture a scenario in which Willam wasn’t right there with her.

Part of her wanted to believe that maybe, they still had a shot at something real.

And now, watching Willam stare blankly ahead, mouth set and eyes dull, Courtney didn’t think she could put into words how badly she wanted that happy ending.

As Willam pulled into the underground parking lot, Courtney began to brace herself for the forced socialization with the city’s worst and wealthiest that they were about to undergo. Dave had arrived a bit earlier from work, along with some of his colleagues, leaving Willam and her bite-sized bridal party to get there on their own.

Willam shut the car off, and dangled the keys in front of Courtney. Courtney frowned.

“Take ‘em,” she said. “I can’t fit them in my clutch without scratching up my phone.”

Surprised by Willam essentially trusting her with something as precious to her as her car, Courtney took the keys carefully and slipped them into her purse.

“You gonna be warm enough tonight?” Courtney joked tentatively. She raised her eyebrows at the fur Willam was wearing over her black mini dress.

“Hey, watch it,” Willam replied, the corners of her eyes crinkling in amusement as she pulled the fox tail stole further up her shoulders. “Your dad paid a lot for this.”

“Um… can we go in?” Farrah piped up from the backseat before Courtney could reply.

Courtney and Willam sighed in unison, collecting their things.

“Now or never, right?” Courtney said softly, flicking her eyes up to meet Willam’s.

Willam tilted her head slightly, like she was considering the full weight of Courtney’s remark, before clearing her throat and getting out of the car.

Courtney took a moment to watch her walk towards the elevators, eyes drawn to the hand coming down to tug on her short skirt, hips swaying and legs flawless in her black stiletto pumps. Courtney shook her head and followed.

Willam was definitely going to make an impression.

The ballroom, as Courtney soon discovered, was too big, too showy, and filled with too many suit-and-tie types, just like she’d expected. It didn’t feel warm or lively, and it definitely didn’t feel anything at all like Willam – but it did make everything feel real. Courtney looked from the line of tables topped with catered entrees simmering over their burners, to the band off in the corner playing smooth jazz, to the dainty placeholders denoting who would sit where.

It was really happening.

She pinpointed her father from across the room, no doubt schmoozing with one of his business partners, and gave him a halfhearted wave in lieu of a real greeting. Willam was nearby, already charming a crew of his colleagues like Courtney knew she would.

Courtney took a deep breath and attempted to plaster a smile onto her face. If Willam could do it, so could she. The dinner would be over soon enough, Courtney reassured herself.

“I love an excuse to get all dolled up,” Farrah said, sauntering up to Courtney and bumping her with her hip. “You look  _really_ pretty tonight, you know.”

Courtney smiled politely, only half-registering the compliment. Her gaze was still fixed on Willam, who was currently placing clearly calculated touches on Dave’s colleagues nearby, adjusting ties and batting shoulders, just enough to make herself liked without coming across as too promiscuous.

Farrah followed her line of sight inquisitively. “She does, too,” she tried, scanning Courtney’s face for a reaction. “Don’t you think?”  

“She always looks pretty,” Courtney said quietly, the words slipping out before she remembered who she was talking to. She bit her tongue, hoping Farrah wouldn’t think anything of it.

She glanced sideways just in time to see Farrah nod once, seriously, like a little girl that Courtney had let in on a secret. The nerves were bubbling up in Courtney’s stomach, and she mumbled something about wanting a drink, moving toward a champagne tray.

Before she could take one of the flutes, Willam was swooping into her line of vision and scooping the last three up, glancing at her almost sternly as she did so. As Courtney opened her mouth to protest indignantly, Willam spun around, hair flying, and headed over to a new group of men in suits.

Courtney watched as she came to a stop, swaying as if the heels Courtney had seen her run in made her wobbly and spilling champagne on her hand. Laughing, she passed off the glasses, and licked her thumb like a cat. Courtney shook her head, amused at Willam’s antics despite herself.

She wished she could get Willam alone, just for a minute, to peek under the dumb blonde persona that she’d put on like an outfit and see where her head was really at tonight, but Dave promptly squelched any hopes of that by loudly announcing that dinner was about to be served.

Courtney made her way to the round table at the front of the room with bated breath, knowing full well that she’d be placed directly next to Willam. Sure enough, the little namecards confirmed Courtney’s suspicions, with Willam seated between her and Dave, and Farrah on Courtney’s other side. With Willam so close, Courtney knew that there was bound to be tension – and if that wasn’t already a recipe for anxiety, Farrah would likely be watching the two of them like a hawk, if she really was starting to catch on like Courtney suspected.

Sitting down reluctantly, Courtney folded her hands in her lap, and waited for things to get uncomfortable.

The tables began to fill up, and before long, Farrah was chatting about something with the plus one of Dave’s business partners, and waiters were starting to make rounds with platters of hors-d’oeuvres. Willam and Dave were the last to sit down at their table, Willam floating over on his arm.

She slid into her chair, nodding as Dave asked her a question, clutch gripped tight in her hand. As soon as Dave turned his attention to his best man, Courtney watched Willam visibly deflate, her shoulders dropping and eyes fluttering shut, a quiet sigh leaving her lips.

She ate quietly, forcing laughter at the appropriate times and piping up when necessary, but Courtney knew better. Eventually, Willam stopped eating entirely, just pushing her food around absentmindedly on her plate with the corners of her mouth downturned.

Courtney struggled with engaging in conversation herself, fully preoccupied by Willam’s every micromovement – so when she was suddenly asked if she was seeing anyone by a honeyed voice from across the table, Courtney nearly snorted into her glass of water.

“Seeing someone?” she repeated, eyes wide. She felt her pulse quicken and her throat constrict as she fumbled for an adequate response.

The simple answer was  _no, not at the moment_ , and it would be taken care of, the topic dropped almost instantly. When Courtney snuck a peek over at Willam, though, she couldn’t seem to find the right words.

“You’ll have to excuse my sister,” Farrah jumped in, clutching Courtney’s arm and smiling sweetly. “She’s a bit private. And anyways, shouldn’t we be focusing on the happy couple at hand? Wouldn’t want to be rude.”

The woman across the table apologized quickly, and the matter vanished like smoke in the wind. Courtney relaxed, flashing a quick but grateful smile at Farrah, who patted her hand with a knowing look.

To Courtney’s relief, the rest of the meal passed without further mention of her personal life. Willam received the brunt of the probing from then on, squeals of, “When did you know he was the one?” from the women and quips of, “How’d Dave manage to land  _you_?” from the men.

It was enough to make Courtney nauseous, and she could only imagine how Willam must’ve been feeling. As their plates were being cleared to make room for the dessert, Courtney took a chance and interlaced her fingers with Willam’s underneath the table, giving her hand a small squeeze for support.

Willam swallowed visibly, and looked blankly down at the white tablecloth. After a moment, her fingers tightened around Courtney’s hand, returning the gesture.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make Courtney’s heart jump in her chest and a small smile tug at her lips.

With the dessert plates set before them, Willam’s touch disappeared as quickly as it had come, the other woman clearing her throat and picking at the piece of sheet cake in front of her. Courtney attempted to catch her eye, give her some sort of signal to convey that she wasn’t enjoying this either, that there were about a thousand things she’d rather be doing than sitting in a ballroom with some of the worst men in L.A., with nothing left to do but watch the timer on Willam’s freedom tick ever more rapidly.

Willam, for her part, seemed dead set on avoiding Courtney’s gaze.

Courtney pushed her cake away from her indignantly. She watched helplessly as Dave draped an arm over the back of Willam’s chair, Willam’s shoulders hunching slightly in response, and mentally cursed her father for not being able to tell how unhappy she was.

Mentally cursed herself for caring so damn much, when Willam had all but asked her not to.

Dave tapped his knife against the rim of his glass then, the sound chilling Courtney to the bone, and proclaimed that he had a few words he’d like to share in honor of his “most recent asset.” Chuckles resounded through the room, and Courtney wanted to throw up.

She kept an eye on Willam as Dave stood and began to make his toast, full of unamusing jokes and casual sexism. It only took a few moments before she decided to tune him out, practiced at doing so after spending so much time with Farrah.

Unfortunately, without anything to distract her, Courtney was left to stew in her nerves, figuring that it was only a matter of time before her father expected her to speak, too. She didn’t feel anywhere near ready, particularly not while sitting close enough to Willam to hear her breathing and to feel her discomfort. She reached for her purse, rummaging blindly for the notecard she’d written and finding anything but, bumping her knuckles against her lip gloss, her wallet, and the keys to the Jeep instead.

Farrah elbowed her side, and Courtney snapped her head up.

“Courtney, honey?” Dave prompted, now facing her.

The room was silent. Courtney vaguely noticed that the jazz quintet had stopped playing, although she couldn’t hear much above the thudding in her ears.

“Right, me,” Courtney said, slowly rising to her feet. “Yeah, okay.”

She exhaled nervously, picking up a piece of silverware and clinking it against her glass of water for something to do, almost spilling the drink in the process.

“I had, um, I had a speech prepared,” she started hesitantly, glancing around at all the faces watching her. “But I seem to have misplaced it.”

Courtney paused, and she could hear the guests murmuring amongst themselves. Her brain felt completely blank, and she looked over at her father briefly, to find him staring down at his empty plate, the corners of his mouth downturned as he shook his head slightly. Ten years ago, the gesture would’ve made Courtney’s heart sink into her stomach. Five years ago, it would’ve made her furious. But now, she took a deep breath, and found that she felt nothing – not for him, and not for the loss of whatever connection they might have once had. None of that mattered, she realized, and maybe it never had. Her lips curled into a smile, and she stood up straighter, a weight lifted from her shoulders.

And then, she looked at Willam.

The other woman was sitting with her hands clasped together in her lap, teeth digging into her lower lip, and as Courtney breathed out a long sigh, their eyes met.

“Willam was the last thing I expected to find when I came home this summer.” Courtney looked back out at the open room as she began to speak, Willam’s gaze still burning into her. “I’ll admit, at first, I thought she’d showed up specifically to annoy me. But after a while, I started to realize that it was the opposite, and I saw her for what she really was, and is – a blessing wrapped up in a designer dress, a fur coat, and 5-inch heels.”

She glanced around the ballroom at the simpering smiles and compulsory nods, almost surprised at how distant she felt from these people. It was as if she were somewhere else, somewhere nobody could hear her except Willam – because, she supposed, no one except Willam would really understand what she was about to say, and no one except Willam was bothering to genuinely listen in the first place.

“We’ve had some amazing times together this summer,” Courtney continued. The words came easily now as she sifted through her memories, finding ways to simplify each one so that the guests wouldn’t pick up on their true meanings. “Exploring the mansion, tanning by the pool and then trying out the massive jacuzzi tub later on. Girls’ movie nights, and coffee stops, and driving around in her Jeep. Shopping trips – sharing changing rooms and clothing like we’d known each other forever.”

“It was like finding a member of your family in a complete stranger,” she said after a pause, turning her gaze toward the ceiling. “But not a sister, or a mother figure. Something special, something more. Something I borrowed, for a while, without realizing that I’d never want to give her back.”

She could hear Willam inhale quickly beside her, and she let her eyes fall shut, trying not to let the rush of emotion in her chest make her voice tremble.

“I may not know what I’m doing, or where I’m going from here, but I do know that I wish the summer had been longer,” Courtney said with a definitive nod. She looked down at Willam, speaking to her now more than anyone else, voice lowering slightly. “I don’t know exactly how the story ends yet, either. I’m trying my best not to get my hopes up, but when I’m sitting next to you…” she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. “I guess I’m just glad you’re in my life, Bill.”

Willam’s eyes were wide, her lips parted in something that looked like recognition, and Courtney thought she might start to cry any moment.

“And I wish you all the happiness in the world.”

Her lower lip quivered, and she scooped up her water glass and raised it, breaking eye contact and forcing a smile.

“Here’s to hoping for a fairytale ending,” she announced. “For you both, uh, obviously. Happiness for you both!”

There was a responding rush of cheers from the room, and Courtney sat down as quickly as possible without bothering to sip her drink, her composure wearing thin now that her toast was over. She could feel the tears threatening to cross the waterline, and she blinked rapidly, her whole body shaky.

Willam’s hand covered hers tentatively, and her gaze snapped up to meet the other woman’s. The look Willam was giving her was  _soft_ , almost gentle, her eyes glossy just like Courtney imagined her own to be. Somehow, it only made her want to cry even more, and she didn’t think she could hold it in for much longer.

“Excuse me,” she mumbled, pulling her hand away and pushing back her chair as quietly as possible as Dave’s best man stood to give his toast. “I have to, um…”

She stood up without bothering to finish her sentence, grabbing her purse and walking quickly to the edge of the room. She could hear Willam say her name, but she lowered her head, moving toward the door as fast as she could without drawing too much attention to herself.

As soon as she’d slipped out of the ballroom, the tears started to run down her cheeks. The elevator to the parking lot was just across the hall, and she pressed the button over and over, as if she could speed it up somehow, not wanting anyone to hear her crying. She fumbled for the keys to Willam’s Jeep in her purse as she rode down to the lot, stumbling out of the elevator and wiping at her eyes to clear her vision.

She climbed into the passenger seat and pulled the door shut, closing herself off from the outside world. The keys slipped out of her fingers, and she buried her face in her hands, heart racing even as her body shook with sobs, just starting to realize that she was far past the point of no return. There could be no easy way out now, no way back into Willam’s good graces except for a miracle. After tonight, Farrah would have to be the maid of honor at the wedding, because Courtney would be long gone, hiding out in San Francisco or Seattle with her tail between her legs.

She’d certainly never see her father again, regardless of whether he’d picked up on anything in her speech, but that part didn’t really bother her.

Just as she realized she couldn’t return to the rehearsal dinner looking like this, either, there was a knock on the driver’s side window.

Moving her hands away from her eyes, Courtney wiped at her cheeks and looked to see who it was.

“Willam?”

Willam smacked the window with an open palm, and pointed down at the lock. Stunned by Willam’s presence, Courtney unlocked the doors with trembling fingers and watched her climb into the driver’s seat.

“Courtney,” Willam sighed, her eyes darting around Courtney’s face. She reached under her seat and pulled out a tissue box, offering it to her. “You’re a mess, babe.”

“What are you doing here?” Courtney asked, her voice unsteady, grabbing a tissue and dabbing at her eyes.

“I followed you,” Willam said, as if it was obvious. “You were upset, and I don’t want you to be upset.”

“Little late for that,” Courtney sniffled. “Upset has been my default for weeks. That’s why I’m leaving, tomorrow.”  

“Wait, what? You can’t leave, Court.”

“Yeah, I can,” Courtney argued. “What I can’t do is watch you marry  _him_.”

“But why do you have to leave?” Willam demanded, her lower lip pushing out in a small pout.

Courtney let her head drop, disheartened that Willam still didn’t get it, still hadn’t picked up on the gravity of Courtney’s feelings for her.

“Because I  _love you_.” The words hung heavily in the air, and Courtney took a deep, shaky breath. “And I know you don’t feel the same, and that’s okay, that’s fine. I don’t expect you to drop everything like I would, because I’m naive, and a romantic, and all of that. But I can’t come to the wedding, Will.”

There was a pause, and Courtney wiped under her lower lashes, aware that she was probably smudging her makeup even more than she already had. Her hands were trembling, and she felt puffy and distraught and broken.

“But I do,” Willam said softly.

Courtney looked up.

“You… you what?”

“I do feel the same way,” Willam said. There was a single tear sliding down her cheek, and Courtney followed it with her eyes.

“You do?”

“I love you, too, Courtney.” Willam reached up to grab her hand, pulling it over to rest against the center console and holding it between both of her own. It felt different, this touch, more permanent and more certain.

Everything was quiet, other than the sounds of their breathing, and Courtney stared at her, open mouthed. Her thoughts caught up with her, head almost spinning as ideas and possibilities flooded her brain. Maybe Willam wouldn’t go through with it, maybe they had a chance. Maybe, this was the miracle she’d been hoping for.

“Then marry me instead,” Courtney blurted out, covering her mouth with her free hand immediately after, embarrassed and overwhelmed.

“Okay.”

“I didn’t mean, like,” Courtney rushed on. “Marry me, I mean, that would be ridiculous, I’ve known you for, like, three months, and I know – I just meant,  _be_  with me instead.”

“Courtney,” Willam said, her lips twitching in amusement. “I said okay.”

“You did?” Courtney gaped at her. “Wait, are you – are you serious?”

“I mean, yes?” Willam cocked her head to the side, considering. “I love you, Court, have for a while. I just… didn’t realize what it meant till tonight. So, yeah, as in, I’ll run away with you if you want, happy endings and all that crap.”

“Oh my god.” A fresh wave of tears spilled down Courtney’s cheeks, and she squeezed Willam’s hand. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Willam nodded earnestly. “Do you – do you want another tissue?”

A laugh bubbled up from Courtney’s chest, unbridled and carefree, and she tugged at Willam’s hand to pull her in, crashing their lips together hurriedly. Willam was laughing, too, as their teeth clacked together, and she cupped Courtney’s face to hold her steady.

The kiss was messy, sticky from lip gloss and tears, and absolutely perfect. Courtney was still crying, and as they pulled apart for a moment to breathe, she saw that Willam’s cheeks were also wet. Reaching up, she rubbed her thumb under Willam’s eye as tenderly as she could, and Willam nestled into her hand.

Willam’s makeup was running, her hair disheveled, face scrunched up with emotion. She was absolutely beautiful, and she loved her, and Courtney wanted to kiss her over and over again. Before she could get to it, Willam was leaning in, connecting their lips more gently this time.

“So,” Courtney panted when they paused for air. “What now? What does this mean?”

“It means I’m not gonna marry him,” Willam said without hesitation, a smile spreading across her face. “And I’m telling him tonight.”

“Really?” Courtney asked rhetorically. She was still struggling to believe what was happening, clinging onto Willam to confirm that she was really here, needing to feel the security of her skin against her own.

“I can’t marry him. And I’m gonna tell him. It’s over, Court.”

“You promise?” Courtney’s tone was apprehensive, and Willam pecked her lips sweetly.

“I promise, baby.”

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miss Bianca’s A/N: We did it, y’all. Six and a half months, ten chapters, 65k words, countless nights spent sharing a doc and a brain, and we’re at the finish line. I want to thank every one of you that’s been with us since the beginning, and all of the people who joined in partway through. Thanks for sticking with us and motivating us. And most of all, I want to thank jazz, my partner in crime herself, for listening to this idea and taking the leap when she asked me if I wanted to write it together. Saying yes was the best decision I ever made, and now, I’m not sure I could say no to her even if I tried. 
> 
> jazz’s A/N: I'm not crying, you're crying. (Just kidding I'm totally crying, come cry with us @artificial-jazz & @willamdelrio.) (Also, would it really be right if Miss Bianca’s author’s note wasn’t 3 times the size of mine????) <3

“So, listen, baby, here’s how it’s gonna go down.”  

Willam let go of Courtney’s hand, flipping down the visor to peer in the mirror and starting to clean up her makeup with a tissue and spit. She was still talking, and it was probably important, but all Courtney could hear was that pet name echoing in her head, Willam’s voice just a little bit raspy as she said it.

_Baby, baby, baby._

“Courtney.” Willam snapped her fingers in front of Courtney’s face, and Courtney jumped.

“What?”

“Did you hear any of that?” Willam asked rhetorically, the corner of her mouth curling up in an affectionate smile as she glanced over at her.

“No,” Courtney admitted. She laughed despite herself, letting the sound bubble up from deep in her chest.   

Willam sighed, feigning exasperation, and glared at her halfheartedly.

“You keep calling me baby,” Courtney explained. “And it’s distracting, and I love it. I love you.”

“You’re gonna pout if I don’t say it back, aren’t you?” Willam said, scraping lipstick off the corner of her mouth with a thumbnail, and Courtney nodded. “Fine. You’re really cute, and I love you, too.”

“Good.”

“Are you gonna pay attention this time?”

“Obviously.”

Willam flipped the visor back up, apparently satisfied with her appearance.

“Okay,” Willam started. “I’m gonna go back upstairs, socialize for a little longer, and then leave with Dave. When we get back to the house, I’m gonna tell him that I changed my mind, and can’t marry him. I won’t explain why, so if we’re lucky, he won’t disown you, too. I dunno how long that’ll take, but I’m pretty sure that I’ll be out on my ass as soon as that ring is off my finger, so we gotta be ready to leave as fast as we can.”

“What about me?”

“You’ll drive the Jeep home, park in the front driveway, and pack your things,” Willam replied. “If there’s anything you can leave, do it. We’ll need the space for my stuff.”

“So I just wait?”

“Yes,” Willam said. “You pack, and wait up for me. ‘Cause if you leave without me, I don’t –”

“I won’t,” Courtney cut her off. “Don’t be dumb.”

Willam grinned and leaned across the console to press another quick kiss to Courtney’s lips, hand cupping her cheek.

“What about Farrah, though?” Courtney asked, grabbing Willam’s hand and holding onto it tight, like Willam might run off if she didn’t. “I think she knows something’s up.”

“I’ll throw her off somehow, I dunno,” Willam shrugged. “And she’ll drive back with me and Dave.”

Courtney found herself shaking her head absentmindedly, biting down on her lip to suppress her smile. This was serious business, she knew – Willam wasn’t one to make this type of call on a whim, without fully committing – but she couldn’t help it.

This was really _happening_ : Willam was here with her, now, and they weren’t going to be apart for much longer. Courtney mentally repeated the notion to herself to assuage the uneasy feeling in her gut, the one that made her wish that she didn’t have to wait until later tonight to know that Willam was safe, that they were finally good to go.

For the first time since Courtney had known her, Willam would be a single woman, and they wouldn’t have to hide anymore. She clung to that idea, trying to push away her nerves.

“We can go to Seattle,” she blurted out.

Willam stared at her for a moment, seeming amused.

“We can go anywhere you want, baby,” she said finally, squeezing Courtney’s hand.

“I have a friend who lives there,” Courtney explained, her cheeks feeling warm under Willam’s soft gaze. “She’s really cool. We can stay in her guest room for awhile, and just be… together.”

“That sounds good,” Willam said, the grin growing on her face informing Courtney that it was way more than just _good_. “Call her when you get back home.”

“I will.”

Willam reached across the console to rest her free hand over their joined ones, staring down at the tangled fingers with that rare smile of wonderment that she only ever seemed to share with Courtney.

The longer Courtney thought about it, the more perfect it seemed. Seattle would be a fresh start for the both of them, and they already had an easy in with Adore. Getting ahead of herself, Courtney envisioned spending rainy Seattle Sundays with Willam, in bed with the windows cracked.

It wouldn’t be anything like their time together in L.A., Courtney realized, different even than the week they’d spent alone in the mansion without having to worry about being caught. She pondered what Willam would look like under the overcast skies, and imagined kissing her in the cool rain, the water soaking through their hair and washing away the leftover loneliness from all the years spent without each other.

“Fuck,” Willam said roughly, glancing up to meet Courtney’s eyes. “I don’t wanna go.”

Courtney frowned slightly. “What do you mean? I thought…”

“No, no,” Willam shook her head. “I don’t wanna go back upstairs, I mean. Don’t wanna go anywhere without you there.”

Courtney blinked rapidly, feeling as if she might cry again at any moment. Another _I love you_ was on the tip of her tongue, but this time she chose to keep it to herself, settling instead on playfully raising her eyebrows.

“You’re not going all soft on me now, are you?” Courtney teased.

She watched Willam’s shoulders relax at that, eyes rolling as she pulled Courtney in for one last kiss, simple and tender. Willam didn’t seem to be in any hurry at first, content to just feel the press of Courtney’s lips against her own before she deepened the kiss, as much an apology as it was a promise.

It took everything Courtney had to finally pull away. Soon they’d have days and weeks and months to do nothing else but this, she reminded herself, pecking the tip of Willam’s nose lightly.

“I’ll wait up,” Courtney whispered.

The corners of Willam’s eyes crinkled as she smiled, and then she was pulling open the door and hopping out of the car. Courtney watched Willam leave, smiling herself as the other woman repeatedly glanced over her shoulder towards the Jeep.

Once the elevator doors closed behind Willam, Courtney leaned down to pick the keys up from where she’d dropped them and clambered over the console to sit in the driver’s seat. Her whole body was buzzing as she started the engine, any trace of exhaustion quickly forgotten as the adrenaline began to set in.

She tucked the hair framing her face behind her ears and reached to adjust the rearview mirror, glancing at her red-rimmed eyes and blotted lips, which were slightly swollen from kissing. Although it felt wrong to leave Willam on her own here, Courtney knew that Willam could handle herself, and knew that she had a job to do. With that in mind, Courtney threw the Jeep into reverse and peeled out into the Los Angeles night.

She turned the radio off and on and back off. Willam’s car felt too big and quiet without her in it, and Courtney wished she could call her to check in, to hear her voice again, all thick and smoldering and full of emotion.

But she did know who else she could call.

At a stoplight, Courtney hastily unlocked her phone and tapped on one of her favorited contacts, putting the call on speaker before resting the phone on her thigh and waiting anxiously for her friend to pick up.  

“Hey, bitch,” Adore laughed, an easy chuckle that dissolved into a fit of coughs. Courtney heard Adore rearranging herself on the other end, and she pictured her smoking a blunt out on her balcony, charcoal on her fingertips from whatever piece of artwork she’d undoubtedly been crafting prior to Courtney’s call. “It’s been a minute.”

“Hi,” Courtney said, pausing. Suddenly, she didn’t know where to begin.

She felt like she should ask how Seattle had been treating Adore, should apologize for letting life get in the way of talking as much as they used to.It had been hard trying to stay in touch with the other girl once they lived far apart, since so much of their relationship had been tied to them being together physically, in one way or another.

“What’s up, babe? You good?” Adore prodded.

“I…” Courtney trailed off, trying to figure out how much to disclose. She knew what Adore sounded like stoned as opposed to sober, and she also knew that Adore wasn’t the best at processing a lot of information all at once, particularly when she was high.

“Court?”

“I’m good, yeah,” Courtney finally exhaled. “The summer’s been fucking crazy.”

“Mmm, I know,” Adore agreed comfortably, not bothering to question what Courtney meant.

“Hey, Delano?” Courtney decided to get straight to the point, knowing that catching up with Adore would be far easier in person.

“Huh?”

“If I ask you for a favor right now, are you gonna give me a real answer?” When Adore made a confused noise, Courtney continued. “Like, will you remember what you tell me, or are you too out of it?”

“Oh, oh,” Adore laughed. “Don’t be dumb, girl, of course I’ll remember. What do you need?”

Courtney took a deep breath, her hands tapping on the steering wheel as she waited at a red light. Her friendship with Adore had always been fun and easy – and quite a bit more affectionate than normal, at that – but that was all a part of Adore’s crazy appeal. She could go with the flow like the best of them, and Courtney knew she could count on Adore to come through when she needed her most. She hoped that same principle would still apply even with Willam in the picture.

“You know how you always used to try and get me to visit you? Like, ‘you should come crash at my place’ and all that?”

Adore hummed her acknowledgment.

“Well… I want – actually, I _need_ – to come crash at your place,” Courtney finished.

“Yo, seriously?” Adore’s voice got noticeably louder, and Courtney swore she could hear the other woman grinning.

“I don’t know how long I’d be there,” Courtney said, chewing on her lip. “It’s sort of hard to explain, but I like, need a place to lie low for awhile, and I thought of you.”

“Duh, of course,” Adore agreed. “You can come stay however long you want, baby, I have an extra room and a couch that’s pretty comfy considering I got it for free from my landlady and her fifty seven cats.”

Courtney smiled, imagining her and Willam in their own shared bedroom, with nothing to disturb them aside from Adore’s music and friends outside the door. She pictured curling up to Willam’s side on the couch as people flitted in and out of the room, not a single one of them glancing twice at Courtney leaving open-mouthed kisses on Willam’s neck as Willam’s hand crept up her thigh.

“There’s just one thing,” Courtney said, swallowing.

“Yeah?”

“I wouldn’t be coming alone.”

Adore sucked in a breath on the other end of the line, and there was a moment of silence, Courtney nearly drawing blood from biting down on her lower lip.

“Shit,” Adore commented, drawing out the syllable. “You finally got a girl, huh?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Courtney replied, relaxing a little bit as she realized Adore’s tone didn’t seem upset in the slightest.

“Think so?”

“Like I said, it’s hard to explain,” Courtney sighed.

Courtney turned a corner and watched as the houses began to look more and more like her father’s. It occurred to her that this might be the last time she’d ever drive this way, the last time she entered the neighborhood that had raised her and then changed her twice over. Adore was quiet, but Courtney could hear her breathing, picture her dark eyebrows drawn together as she tried to put the pieces together.

“Wait, she’s the reason you’re hiding out?” Adore asked finally, but it was more of a statement than a question. “Damn. Who _is_ this girl, Court?”

“It’s not about anything illegal, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Courtney reassured her. “Even though I’d probably do illegal things _for_ her, if it came to that.”

The words had come out before Courtney could even really think about what she was saying, and she winced slightly. It was true – she’d absolutely thought about harming people on Willam’s behalf – but it hadn’t needed to be shared.

“You’re in fuckin’ deep, then, aren’t you?” Adore laughed after a pause.

“We just need to get out of L.A., and I hoped we could stay with you,” Courtney continued quickly. “If we can’t, that’s okay, and we’ll figure something else out. Wherever we end up, we’ll be better off than we are here.”

“No, you can bring her, too,” Adore said agreeably. “Can’t wait to meet the chick Courtney would kill for, it’s gonna be a party.”

“ _Party_ ,” Courtney mocked, snorting quietly. “You’ll be meeting her sooner rather than later.” She trailed off as she approached her father’s house, pressing on the brakes and pulling into the driveway carefully. She idled there for a moment, eyeing the mansion. It looked different now, cold and unforgiving, and Courtney shivered.

“I’m not sure how long it takes to get to Seattle by car, but we’re leaving as soon as we can,” she finished, bringing the phone up to her ear. “And thank you. Really.”

“Anything for you, babe,” Adore replied. “I’ll see you when you get here.”

Courtney nodded as if Adore could see her, giving her a quick _love you_ before unbuckling her seatbelt and gathering her things with a renewed sense of urgency. For all she knew, Willam was leaving with Dave right this very moment, while Courtney was wasting time stewing in the car when she could’ve been packing up her stuff.

Or, rather, _their_ stuff. For _their_ new life in Seattle.

Courtney’s heart skipped a beat, and she practically ran into the mansion, taking the steps two at a time on the way to her bedroom.

She’d have to admit that she’d miss her room here, at least a little bit. Courtney kneeled down to pull one of her suitcases out from underneath her bed, smiling to herself at the tattered crop top that caught her eye, no doubt shoved under there after Courtney had torn it off Willam’s body at the beginning of the summer. It seemed like so long ago now, and Courtney’s chest ached at the memory.

This room had been good at keeping secrets, and as she moved to pick through her dresser drawers, Courtney was grateful for that. Some of Willam’s t-shirts had gotten mixed in with Courtney’s own, and she almost laughed to think that there was a time not so long ago when that would’ve infuriated her. She folded the clothing into haphazard rolls now, shoved them into her luggage to create as much space possible for all the shoes she knew she’d have to fit.

She’d come to Los Angeles with an almost ridiculous amount of _stuff_ , clothing and knick-knacks and accessories. Most of it hadn’t even been unpacked, as she discovered when she pulled out another suitcase, still full of purses and jackets. Looking at it now, Courtney couldn’t even fathom what she’d been thinking as she packed for the visit.

The majority of it had never been used, and would never be used, bought with her father’s money in a desperate attempt to fit in with the L.A. business elite, people who she was now allowing herself to hate not just secretly, but with her entire being.

Shaking her head, Courtney emptied the suitcase onto her bed carelessly, sorting through it slowly for the more expensive items to sell if need be. That time in her life was over, permanently, and she couldn’t wait to shed the remnants and finally be free.

It had taken longer than she’d expected, but Courtney had managed to fill another entire duffel bag with the necessities – some of Willam’s best lingerie, her softest jeans, the thigh-high boots that made Courtney practically salivate – before the nerves really started to set in. She’d heard a car pull in the driveway a little while ago, and then footsteps in the hallway.

She assumed that Willam was talking to Dave now, telling him that the engagement was off, but Courtney hadn’t been given an update, and she couldn’t know for sure. She had hoped that Willam would give her some sort of information, a text, even – anything to let her know that things were progressing the way they were supposed to. She found herself checking the time impulsively, watching the minutes tick away slowly.

Another hour later, and Courtney was ready to crawl out of her skin.  Her brain kept conjuring images of her father at his angriest, memories of his arguments with Willam and even her mother, loud enough to hear from the other side of the house. She couldn’t hear any yelling now, and that nearly scared her more.

Courtney sank down onto the bed, messy and covered with clothing and accessories. It was well past midnight, still with no word from Willam, and Courtney turned her phone over, watching her hands shake just a little bit as she did so.

Across the room, a piece of cream colored fur caught her eye from where it poked out of her closet, a welcome distraction. Courtney got up and padded over, hesitantly reaching to pull the door open. She brushed her fingers over the fur, and Willam’s coat fell off the hook and into her arms.

She hugged it to her chest, burying her nose in the soft material and breathing in deeply, hoping there were still hints of Willam’s perfume hidden by the collar. She smiled slightly as the scent brought her back to all the times that kissing Willam had turned into just hugging her, face tucked into her neck, comfortable and content.

There were three gentle knocks on the door then, and the coat slipped from Courtney’s grip, landing heavily at her feet. With her pulse racing, Courtney walked over, swallowed hard as she let her hand linger on the door handle.

“Yes?” she asked nervously, hoping beyond hope that it was Willam on the other side.

“It’s me.”

Courtney’s heart skipped a beat at the sound of Willam’s voice, and she opened the door in one swift motion.

Willam was still in her dress and heels from earlier, a backpack dangling from one hand and her other arm wrapped around herself. She looked drained, her face expressionless, and Courtney tried not to panic as she moved to the side to let Willam in, closing the door behind her.

“Will?” Courtney murmured. “Is everything okay?”

Willam’s eyes snapped up to meet Courtney’s, and the corner of her mouth curved up in a small smile.

“Yeah,” Willam said, dropping the bag and holding up her left hand for Courtney to see. The ring was gone. “I did it.”

As soon as the words left Willam’s lips, Courtney felt her entire body relax, air filling her lungs as she finally allowed herself to breathe again. The urge to tackle-hug Willam was strong, but Courtney managed to restrain herself, noticing how Willam seemed unsteady, her legs shaky. Instead, she reached for Willam’s hand, tears prickling in the corners of her eyes as she trapped Willam’s slender fingers between her own, this time with no cold metal and sharp stone digging into her skin to remind her that Willam wasn’t really hers.

When she looked back up, Willam was staring at her with a softness that Courtney vowed to commit to memory, her smile sweet and almost indulgent.

“You can hug me, baby,” she said, her voice affectionate. “I did it for you, after all.”

Courtney bit her lip, blinking rapidly to stop herself from crying. Willam tugged on her hand, and that was all the confirmation that she needed to surge forwards and wrap her arms around Willam’s waist.

She felt Willam’s quick intake of breath as much as she heard it, and the other woman was frozen for a moment before her arms wound around Courtney’s neck, body practically melting against her as she relaxed. One of her hands worked its way into Courtney’s hair, fingers winding in her curls and tugging gently to make Courtney sigh against her skin, the sensations reminding both of them that this was real, and not just some opportunistic daydream.

Courtney tucked her face closer into Willam’s neck, squeezing her eyes shut. The scent of her perfume was a thousand times better on her skin, and Courtney pressed her lips to her pulse point, smiling as Willam let out a quiet chuckle in response.

Willam pulled back briefly to glance over Courtney’s shoulder, noticing the wreckage of bags packed and unpacked for seemingly the first time. “Hey, you started packing,” she acknowledged sweetly, slotting her hips against Courtney’s.

“And I’d be almost done by now if you didn’t have so much shit,” Courtney joked, releasing Willam and resting her hands on her waist. “Seriously, all the stuff you have in my closet?”

“Yeah, I really filled it up, didn’t I?” Willam laughed.

“It’s like you _knew_.”

Willam cocked her head to the side, and Courtney continued.

“Sharing closet space? That’s couple-y as fuck, Bill. It’s like you were planning on –” She stopped, appraising the mischievous grin spreading across Willam’s face.

“Guess I was getting ready to run,” Willam shrugged. “Even if I didn’t know it.”

“You,” Courtney said, brushing her lips against Willam’s, “are unbelievable.”

Her eyes sparkling, Willam caught Courtney’s chin, tilting her face up and leaning in to kiss her for real.

After they broke apart, Courtney dug through the duffel bag with Willam’s things to find her a t-shirt and shorts to change into. She managed not to watch as Willam stripped, wanting to stay focused, but once the other woman had stepped out of her heels and changed into the more casual clothing, Courtney couldn’t resist pulling her into another kiss, endeared by how much smaller and younger she seemed like this.

Courtney lost track of time after that. As she continued packing, Willam perched on the end of her bed and filled her in on the main themes of her conversation with Dave, the largest take-away being Dave’s warning that she’d better not be here when he woke up tomorrow. Courtney decided not to press further than that, figuring they’d have all the time in the world to delve into it later on. Now, Courtney’s biggest obstacle was concentrating on the task at hand – without getting distracted by the woman watching her with that adoring expression on her face, all smiles and bright eyes, practically begging to be touched.

More than once, Courtney gave in, usually just pausing to lean down and kiss her in between trips from the closet to the luggage. After one such exchange, Willam managed to pull Courtney down and onto her lap, holding her waist as Courtney straddled her, the kisses growing longer and deeper until Courtney swore she could taste salt. When she finally paused for air, Willam was blinking back tears, her smile widening as she stared up at Courtney.

Courtney almost spoke, but there was nothing to be said, so she closed her mouth and simply smiled back. Willam leaned in again, but this time, her lips brushed past Courtney’s jaw and she buried her face in Courtney’s neck, arms winding more tightly around her.

Closing her eyes, Courtney let Willam hold her, allowing herself the brief break from packing and rushing and thinking to smile until her cheeks hurt, to bask in the realization that they’d both be getting their happy endings after all.

“Wait,” Willam interjected, lifting her head. “Where the fuck are we actually going?”

Courtney laughed, realizing that in the midst of all this craziness, she’d forgotten to update Willam on the Adore situation. “We’re all set for Seattle, my friend’s expecting us.”

“Seattle,” Willam repeated wistfully, more to herself than anyone else.

“So get off your ass and help me finish packing so we can get going.” Courtney pinched her side playfully, spurring Willam to squirm off the bed and to her feet.

The urgency of their situation wasn’t lost on Courtney, who could picture her father seething in the master bedroom before settling on sleep instead. Courtney certainly had no interest in being present when Dave awoke in the morning to update her on the status of the wedding, and she was grateful for Willam’s extra set of hands, which made the process move exponentially faster – bringing them one step closer to getting out of there for good.

Willam double-checked the bathroom to make sure they’d gotten everything important, assisted in closing the largest of the suitcases by sitting on top of it as Courtney zipped the bag shut. Courtney was impressed at how relatively light they’d managed to pack, figuring that they’d have plenty to wear between the two of them and that most everything else was replaceable. It was a nice image, Courtney had to admit – the thought of sharing her wardrobe with Willam, seeing her wear one of Courtney’s sundresses around Adore’s apartment.

It was nearly 2 AM when Courtney hauled the final suitcase over to the doorway. Willam was back in her spot at the foot of the bed, and Courtney walked over to her, her whole body feeling jittery with excitement and nerves. She held out her hand, and Willam took it, bouncing on her toes as she stood, the two of them staring at each other for a moment.

“Are you sure?” Willam spoke up finally, her voice tentative.

“Sure about what?”

“About this, about us,” Willam said, her eyes searching Courtney’s face.

“It’d suck if I wasn’t,” Courtney replied with a chuckle. “All of our stuff is probably mixed together now, and there’s only one car for us to leave in.”

“Court…” Willam sighed, looking down. “Are you sure that this is what you want? That _I’m_ what you want?”

Courtney bit her lower lip, squeezing Willam’s hand as her heart clenched just a little in response to the words that Willam hadn’t said. She hated that Willam still had to ask questions like this, hated that she hadn’t realized yet that _Courtney_ was the lucky one.

“Of course I am, love,” Courtney said, smiling and hoping that Willam would see the sincerity in her face. “Weren’t you listening to my speech?”

Willam pressed her lips together, nodding, and Courtney could see the smile starting to form. Courtney let go of her hand and moved to turn away, reassured that Willam’s doubts were assuaged for now.

“Hey, Court?” Willam’s voice was quiet, and Courtney faced her again.

“Mmm?”

Her cheeks grew warm as Willam stepped into her space and reached up to frame her face with careful hands, gaze wandering over Courtney’s features sweetly.

“I love you.”

She said it softly, deliberately, like it was a secret – even though it didn’t have to be anymore.

Courtney’s breath caught, and Willam leaned in closer, lips pressing against the corner of her mouth before moving to meet Courtney’s in a gentle kiss.

Willam loved her – a break-off-the-engagement, follow-you-to-a-different-state type of love – and Courtney was nearly dizzy with it as she reached down to grab a duffel bag and a suitcase and began the process of loading up the Jeep. Willam slung her backpack over her shoulder, plucking a smaller suitcase from their conglomeration of luggage to carry downstairs.

The house felt eerily quiet, although Courtney supposed that was a good thing. The rest of the world was more than welcome to sleep while she and Willam made their escape to Seattle. Still, Courtney eyed the door to the master bedroom warily as they crept down the staircase, trying to be as stealthy as anyone possibly could while hauling so much extra weight.

Aside from a side-comment groaned under Willam’s breath about chipping a nail, their first few runs to the car were mostly quick and easy. They were nearly ready to go, Courtney figured. Making her way back inside to grab the final round of bags from the foyer, she tried to refrain from pinching herself.

If it weren’t for Farrah standing at the top of the staircase in her pink nightgown, hair piled on top of her head and one hand clasped over her mouth, Courtney would’ve thought that their plan was going a little _too_ smoothly.

Farrah looked from Courtney’s bedroom door – left ajar to reveal the evidence of their imminent getaway – to her half-sister and Willam, hands linked together in the foyer.

“Please don’t freak out,” Courtney whispered urgently. She took a step closer toward the staircase with an arm outstretched, as if she had to approach Farrah with caution. She hadn’t considered Farrah’s role in all of this, how she could very easily ruin things by telling Dave what she’d seen, and now Courtney’s mind was racing a mile a minute.    

Farrah’s eyes were wide, but as she slowly lowered her hand from her face, Courtney could see her wide, open-mouthed smile.  

“I think we broke her,” Willam mumbled.

Before Courtney could reply, Farrah was darting down the stairs with a muted squeal and throwing her arms around both of them in an overly enthusiastic bear hug that should’ve been impossible to achieve, given her small stature.

“Oh my god, I knew it, I knew something was up!” She had released them, and was talking rapidly in a hushed voice, the huge smile still on her face. “I’m so _happy_ for you, this is so cute! One of my aunts is a lesbian – well, she’s not really my aunt, but I call her that – and some people think it’s weird when pretty girls are gay and stuff but I don’t, and now I know _three_ of you, and it’s just so cute, and you better invite me to your wedding someday because I’ve never been a bridesmaid and I really wanted to.”

Courtney stared at her, open-mouthed, and Willam started laughing.

“You’re a much better sister-in-law than mother-in-law anyways,” Farrah added, grinning at Willam.

“Thanks, Farrah,” Willam said, and she sounded genuine for the first time underneath her amusement.

Farrah turned to Courtney quickly then, like something had just dawned on her. “Does Dad know?”

“That I’m leaving with Willam? No,” Courtney said. “He has no idea.”

“I’ll pretend like I don’t know anything,” Farrah replied, gesturing between Courtney and Willam with a finger, “about this.” She giggled, clearly proud of being let in on the secret.

“So you’ll cover for me?” Courtney asked, almost baffled at Farrah’s reaction.

“Duh,” Farrah said with a shrug, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “That’s what sisters do.”

Courtney smiled despite herself, feeling an impulse to hug Farrah for the first time since she’d met her. She squeezed Willam’s hand instead.

“Try to keep me in the will, then,” Courtney said with a laugh. “You’ll be the favorite daughter after he realizes what went on right under his nose this summer.”

“Ew.” Farrah scrunched her face. “I don’t wanna be his favorite.”

“He’s filthy rich,” Willam pointed out. “Don’t you think we all deserve some of that once he’s gone?”

Farrah looked at Willam, nodding solemnly as she considered the statement. The three of them stood at the base of the staircase, huddled close and hushed, and Courtney had the distinct feeling that things were finally falling into place, right here, illuminated by the soft moonlight filtering in from outside.

“You guys,” Farrah half-whined, pulling them in for another hug, this one tighter than the first. “I don’t wanna hold you up, just – I’m so into this. And you better text me.”

“Promise,” Courtney said, and she meant it.

With a kiss on the cheek, Courtney sent Willam out to start the car, taking one final look around before reaching for the last of the suitcases. A few months ago, she realized, the scene wasn’t all that different: Courtney standing in the foyer, bags in tow, just waiting for something to happen to her.

Courtney looked over her shoulder toward the Jeep, smiling as Willam adjusted the mirrors, and shut the heavy front door behind her.  

-

It was the speed bump that woke Courtney up. She furrowed her brow, momentarily unsure of where she was, only aware of the darkness past her eyelids and the car slowing down.

“Aw, fuck,” Willam cursed softly.

Courtney smiled, remembering, and opened her eyes.

They were pulling into a gas station that she didn’t recognize, the clear early morning sky just starting to show hints of light, almost unnoticeable compared to the tall neon sign that loomed above the car.

“I’m sorry, baby,” Willam said, and Courtney turned to look at her.

“Hmm?” she hummed in response, her smile widening as she looked at the other woman.

“About the speed bump.” Willam pulled up to the nearest gas pump easily, one hand on the steering wheel, and shut off the car. “You looked all peaceful and shit, so I wasn’t even gonna wake you.”

Curling her legs underneath her, Courtney leaned across the console, turning Willam’s chin towards her with gentle fingers. Willam inhaled, as if she was about to say something, and Courtney kissed her before she could get the words out, feeling Willam’s lips curl into a smile against hers.

“Don’t be sorry,” she said. “I don’t want to miss any of this, anyway.”

The fluorescent lights outside were sharpening the features on half of Willam’s face, a shadow forming under her cheekbone, and Courtney traced it with her thumb. Willam leaned into her touch ever-so-slightly, sighing softly through her nose. After a moment, Courtney leaned in and kissed her again, savoring the way Willam’s mouth fell open in response, lips soft and dry against hers.

There was something different about this kiss. It felt new, unhurried, and clean like the sky outside, unmarred by lipstick or liquor or the lies they had to tell themselves to justify it. Kissing Willam had always _felt_ easy, she realized – but it hadn’t been, not until now.

“I’ll go in,” Courtney offered when they finally stopped for air, a smile tucked into the corner of her mouth and Willam’s cheek still cradled in her hand. “You get the gas, and I’ll get the snacks.”

Willam nodded, but made no move to leave the car, her hand coming up to press against Courtney’s, gaze moving over her face slowly. Courtney swallowed, watched as the corners of Willam’s eyes crinkled.

“Okay,” Willam said finally, pressing one last quick kiss to Courtney’s lips before turning to open the door. “Get me something with alcohol.”

“Bill!” Courtney laughed as she got out of the car.

“Fine, caffeine.” Willam rolled her eyes, a grin on her face.

As she walked towards the store, Courtney couldn’t help looking back at Willam a few times, reassuring herself that all of this was real, that Willam was here with her. She stepped inside and let out a long breath, still trying to adjust to the new emotions that had replaced the monotone sadness and hurt of the previous weeks.

It hadn’t even been half a day since she’d given her speech at the rehearsal dinner, since Willam had finally understood what she’d been trying to say during their fight. Since Willam had said she loved her too, and had agreed to run away with her.

And now, here they were, running away – only it felt a lot more like just running, smiles on both of their faces and fingers linked together in between the car seats.

Courtney grabbed bottled coffees from the cooler and picked out some snacks, grabbing what seemed to be vegan. As she walked towards the cash register, she peered out the door, catching a glimpse of Willam leaning against the Jeep as she waited.

They’d left the house without much fuss, Farrah standing in the doorway and wiggling her fingers at them. Traffic had been lighter than Courtney had ever seen it, and it was quiet in the car as they got on the highway, each of them seeming almost nervous to break the silence. It had been Willam who’d finally spoken up.

 _“Hey, guess what_ ,” she’d said, and Courtney had looked over to see her grinning. _“You’re my girlfriend now.”_

Just thinking about it made Courtney smile wide enough that her cheeks hurt, and she fought the urge to blurt her feelings out to the sleepy cashier who rang her up, only barely managing to restrain herself. Smiling at him instead, she pushed the door open and jogged back into the parking lot, the plastic bag swinging from her arm.

“Hey, Bill, guess what?” she called as she neared the Jeep.

“What?”

“You’re my girlfriend now!” She came to a stop in front of Willam, practically bouncing on her toes.

Willam stared at her almost helplessly, her expression so sincere and so _happy_ that it made Courtney’s chest constrict.

“Yeah,” Willam said, shaking her head and reaching up to brush Courtney’s hair out of her face, fingers dancing briefly across her cheek. “Finally.”

The horizon was turning shades of pink and gold as they climbed back into the car, and Courtney held Willam’s hand still on the gear shift, leaning over to press a chaste kiss to her lips before letting her put the car in drive and get them back onto the highway.

Courtney loved that she didn’t have to avert her eyes anymore, wouldn’t have to pretend that she wasn’t staring at Willam when she’d inevitably get caught. She took it all in – Willam’s wild curls in disarray from the wind blowing through the window she’d cracked open, her toned arms that looked impossibly tanner against the white tank top she had on – and couldn’t help but bring Willam’s knuckles up to her mouth to kiss, letting her lips linger against her skin for a few seconds longer than was necessary.

The corner of Willam’s mouth twitched, but she made no comment.

Somehow, that only made Courtney crave a reaction out of her more. Sliding her hand from Willam’s and onto her leg instead, Courtney revelled in the fact that she was allowed to do this now, without consequence.

And, god, how had she forgotten how warm and smooth Willam’s thighs felt underneath her fingertips? She moved her thumb in slow circles, impressed by Willam’s resolve to stay focused on the road while Courtney squeezed her own legs together.

Courtney knew that Willam’s concentration wouldn’t be too hard to break, if she played her cards right. They had spent weeks unable to touch each other, and Courtney had reached her breaking point.

They were more alone now than they’d ever been, and Courtney couldn’t stop thinking about how easy it would be to slide her hand further up Willam’s thigh and let her know how much she’d missed her. Raking her nails lightly over the skin, Courtney watched Willam for a reaction, satisfied when the other woman swallowed visibly.

“I’m trying to drive, kitten,” Willam said through clenched teeth, her voice low.

Courtney let out a shaky exhale at that, gripping Willam’s thigh tighter and leaning across the center console to press an open-mouthed kiss to the top of her shoulder.

“Babe…” Willam’s knuckles turned white on the steering wheel, and Courtney’s lips dragged up to her neck, tongue pressing against the soft skin.

“I want to kiss my girlfriend,” Courtney husked in her ear.

Willam’s breath caught, and Courtney slid her hand down to rest on the inside of Willam’s thigh, brushing against the denim of her tiny cutoff shorts.

“Well, fuck,” Willam said, checking her side mirrors hastily before veering the Jeep to the right and utilizing the emergency pull-off lane by the side of the road.

As soon as Willam had parked the car, her hands flew to Courtney’s face, nearly knocking the wind out of her altogether. The desperation that had been absent before was back in full throttle, and Courtney was already lightheaded from Willam’s biting kiss and fingers twisting in her hair, pulling slightly to expose her neck.

Willam sucked a hungry mark onto her pulse point, managing a brusque mutter of “ _backseat_ ” against Courtney’s skin.

Breathing heavy, Courtney scrambled into the back of the car as she tugged her own shirt off, almost painfully aware of the bruise forming on her neck and the heat between her legs. Willam followed, launching herself between the seats and landing in Courtney’s lap, reattaching their lips before Courtney could even get a good look at her.

The weight of Willam against her made Courtney wish she was in a skirt like usual, so she could slip her hand between Willam’s thighs and let her ride her fingers. She ran her palms up Willam’s sides, then across her abs, and she needed Willam naked, now, inconvenient clothing out of the way.

In silent understanding, Willam lifted her arms to allow Courtney to pull her shirt up and over her head. Discarding the shirt, Courtney moved her hands to Willam’s back, working quickly at the clasp of her bra.

Willam dropped her head to Courtney’s shoulder, grinding down on her lap impatiently and letting out a groan as Courtney massaged her breasts with both hands.

Courtney hadn’t remembered Willam feeling so _perfect_ , hadn’t remembered the sound of her moans lighting a fire in her like this before. She was a thousand times better upon rediscovery, and Courtney ducked to press a kiss to the exposed column of her neck, teeth scraping gently to make Willam whine.

“I wanna touch you,” she murmured, thumb rubbing over Willam’s nipple. “Need to touch you.”

Willam quickly moved to unbutton her shorts, but Courtney shook her head, wrapping her arms around Willam’s waist and turning to lay her back on the seat with her upper back propped up against the door. Leaning over her, Courtney replaced Willam’s hand with her own, unbuttoning the shorts and pulling them down along with her panties.

Teeth digging into her lower lip, Courtney took a moment to admire Willam. She was entirely naked, propping herself up with her hands on the seat, and her chest was heaving slightly, nipples darkened and stiff. Courtney knew exactly how oversensitive they were, and she needed them in her mouth, needed Willam to tug and twist at her hair until she was out of breath and they were both desperate and squirming.

“Fuck, you’re so gorgeous,” Courtney exhaled, watching as Willam squeezed her thighs together. “You don’t even know how much I missed having you like this, getting to see you like this.”

Willam deserved a soft bed, deserved to stretch out so they could take their time, deserved the very best Courtney could give her.

But, for now, this would have to do.

She nudged Willam’s legs apart, moving to crawl over her, pressing her lips against Willam’s abs and leaving a trail of kisses up between her breasts. Willam clawed at Courtney’s back as Courtney cupped her heat, her legs spreading wider in response to the touch. Not wanting to waste any more time, Courtney slid a finger inside of her easily, curling it and smiling as Willam moaned and lifted her hips.  

Leaning down to suck Willam’s nipple into her mouth, Courtney added a second finger next to the first, a shiver running through her as Willam slid a hand into her hair and pulled. Willam was sticky on her palm, and Courtney loved how she fucked back into her fingers, hips rolling in a desperate attempt to make Courtney move faster.

Dragging her tongue up Willam’s chest, Courtney started to place open-mouthed kisses on the side of her neck, all lips and tongue, sucking on the spot under the corner of her jaw. Willam whimpered, and Courtney moved her mouth to her ear.

“You’re mine, from now on,” she said, closing her eyes and kissing Willam’s earlobe. “You’re mine, and I’m going to treat you like you deserve to be treated. Like the beautiful, precious thing you are.”

Courtney felt Willam clench around her hand at that, and she sped up her fingers, pressing a thumb over Willam’s clit. Willam groaned, twisting her fingers tightly in Courtney’s hair, her head thudding softly against the window.

“Do you want to come, baby?” Courtney murmured, moving to kiss the spot below Willam’s ear. “I wanna feel it.”

Another moan leaving her lips, Willam nodded, her back arching so that her chest brushed Courtney’s.

“Tell me,” Courtney insisted, imagining the rasp in Willam’s voice.

“Please,” Willam managed, her voice nearly breaking, and Courtney let out a shaky exhale. “I want to, baby – _fuck_.”

Willam’s mouth fell open as she shuddered around Courtney’s fingers for what seemed like forever, and Courtney was there to ease her through it, whispering praise in her ear and leaving soft kisses all over the side of her neck.

She slowed down her fingers, but didn’t stop, thumb still moving gently over Willam’s sensitive bundle of nerves, fingers crooked inside her.

“I – I missed this so much,” Willam breathed, hips twitching against Courtney’s hand. “I almost – _oh_ – I almost came to your room last night, after you got drunk…”

“Mmmm?” Courtney hummed against her skin.

“I wanted to kiss you so bad, baby.” Willam blinked slowly. “I thought about you, about doing this… for the whole damn rest of the day.”

“ _Oh_.” Courtney shifted her weight, her body immediately reacting to Willam’s words. “Why, um. Why didn’t you?”

Willam reached down to pull on Courtney’s wrist, shivering at the absence of Courtney’s touch as she dragged their hands back up her body. Her lips parted, and she ducked her head to catch Courtney’s fingers on her tongue, sucking them into her mouth. Courtney softened on top of her, practically melting as Willam’s cheeks hollowed.

After a moment, Courtney tugged her hand away, cupping Willam’s neck gently instead and waiting for an answer.

“I knew that if I came back, I wouldn’t want to leave.”

Willam unhooked Courtney’s bra, tossing it aside before shifting down on the seat and rolling them both over with her hands on Courtney’s back. She lay Courtney on the seat and lowered her head, starting to place kisses across her chest.

“I couldn’t just have you one last time,” Willam said. “Because you’re addicting, and I’d just want more.”

She bit down lightly on Courtney’s collarbone and Courtney released a slow breath. As if she could read Courtney’s thoughts, Willam tilted her chin up to bite at the soft skin of her neck, not so gentle this time.

“There isn’t a last time with you, princess,” Willam murmured. “I taste you, and I never wanna stop.”

“You don’t ever have to stop,” Courtney replied. Her voice was shaky, and she wrapped her legs around Willam’s waist, trapping their bodies closer together.

“No,” Willam said, kissing Courtney’s bottom lip tenderly. “Not anymore.”

Willam let her hands travel down Courtney’s body, reading Courtney’s squirming as a welcome invitation to remove her shorts and press her lips briefly against Courtney’s panties, already soaked through with arousal.

Courtney moaned quietly at that, pushing into the touch, but Willam was already moving back up to place open-mouthed kisses across her abs, biting and sucking marks onto the skin.

“Willam…” Courtney half-groaned, drawing out the last syllable. “Please, baby…”

Willam didn’t respond, only pressing Courtney’s hips down against the seat with her palm to keep her still and dragging her tongue over Courtney’s nipple. She bit down, and Courtney whimpered, feeling the wetness start to rub onto the insides of her thighs.

“I wanna make it last,” Willam rasped. She ran her tongue over her bottom lip to break the trail of spit still connecting it to Courtney’s nipple. “Make you whine and beg for me first.”

“And I want you to fuck me,” Courtney replied, the words coming out all at once. “With your tongue, or your fingers, as many as you can fit, and stretch me – _ooh!_ ”

She cut herself off with a groan as Willam nearly growled, hand snaking between their bodies to palm her core roughly.

“You’re so fucking dirty, kitten,” Willam said, voice low. “I always forget, somehow…”

“Please, Will,” Courtney repeated, grinding as best she could against the friction. “I want – I need your mouth, baby, please.”

Willam cursed under her breath, her pupils dilating further as she looked at Courtney. Then, she started to kiss down Courtney’s chest again, her fingers digging into the dampness of Courtney’s panties just to make her squirm.

As soon as she reached her lower stomach, Willam tugged her panties down, shifting so that Courtney could help to pull them off. She leaned in, kissing the front of Courtney’s hip with such surprising gentleness Courtney’s breath caught in her chest. Before she could recover, Willam’s teeth dug sharply into the inside of her thigh, hard enough to leave marks, lips closing around the skin to suck off the wetness that had collected there. Courtney’s responding moan was absolutely filthy, so much so that she slapped her own hand over her mouth as if someone might hear.

“You can be as loud as you want, princess,” Willam coaxed, lips ghosting teasingly over her folds. “C’mon, lemme hear you.”

Courtney whimpered as she snaked a hand into Willam’s hair in an attempt to pull her closer, lifting her hips to fully offer herself to the woman who she was sure would be the death of her.

She thought she might’ve even said so aloud, because, the next thing she knew, Willam’s nose was pressing into her, tongue flicking out over her clit and sending a shockwave through Courtney’s body.

“Oh, fuck,” she exhaled, eyes fluttering shut instinctively. Willam hummed against her heat, smug, and Courtney quickly remembered that the only thing better than _feeling_ this – the buzzing in her fingertips and her toes, the tight coil below her bellybutton – was watching Willam at work.

She marveled at the curve of Willam’s lower back, her bare ass just visible with her head bowed between Courtney’s legs. Her hair was splayed out in every direction, so touchable, so perfect.

Courtney couldn’t count how many times Willam had reduced her to a dripping, begging mess, seeming to do it almost effortlessly, always cocky. But this was different – every hungry press of her tongue seemed more effective somehow, as if each move was designed to take Courtney apart, shatter her into pieces. And Courtney craved it, the feeling of being utterly destroyed by something as simple as Willam’s mouth against her, trusting that Willam would put her back together again just as deliberately.

“God, don’t stop,” Courtney sighed, and it became a sort of breathless chant, until Courtney’s throat was hoarse and her toes were curling, until she wasn’t sure whether she meant _don’t stop doing that thing you do so well with your tongue_ or _don’t stop choosing me, needing me, loving me._

Willam raked her nails down Courtney’s midsection, giving Courtney just enough time to see the goosebumps forming in her wake before she sealed her lips around Courtney’s clit. Her head falling back, Courtney groaned, hips rolling up steadily into the suction, hands twisting in Willam’s hair.

Then, Willam’s tongue was pressing inside her, and Courtney’s responding whine was drowned out by Willam’s own drawn-out moan, muffled but still gorgeous enough to send a sharp spike of arousal straight down to Courtney’s core.

“Please, baby, don’t stop,” Courtney pleaded, struggling to keep watching as Willam looped her arm around to press her thumb hard against the sensitive bundle of nerves, rubbing rapidly. “Fuck, don’t stop, don’t –”

The words died in her throat as every muscle in her body coiled tight, heartbeat thudding in her ears, Willam’s rough treatment of her throbbing clit the only thing she could process. With one more pass of Willam’s thumb, Courtney’s hips were bucking once more, the surge of pleasure forcing her eyes shut as her climax overwhelmed her, swelled through her.

They stayed like that in the backseat for what felt like ages, wrapped around each other despite the scratchy upholstery and the soreness of their limbs. Other cars continued to barrel down the highway, close enough to hear, but not quite close enough to touch them. As long as she and Willam didn’t move, Courtney thought, they’d be frozen in this little bubble forever, completely satiated and warm with the windows all fogged up.

Willam’s fingers were running slowly through Courtney’s hair, chest soft under Courtney's cheek, and as an arm wrapped tighter around her back, all Courtney could think was _I love you, I love you, I love you._ It took her a moment to remember she was allowed to say it out loud, speak the words into the warm skin between Willam’s breasts and hope they reached her heart.

“God, baby,” Willam sighed, and Courtney looked up at her. “I’m so fucking in love with you.”

Courtney was almost positive she’d never get tired of hearing those words, and the rest of the day proved her right. They made her heart flutter every time: when Willam said them again as they clumsily reclothed and relocated to the front seats, when she murmured them with glassy eyes as they crossed state lines.

Propping her feet up on the dashboard, Courtney settled in for the ride. Willam set her cruise control to ten miles above the speed limit, laughing when Courtney feigned concern.

“Since when do you follow the rules?” Willam quipped, giving her leg a squeeze as the automated voice on Courtney’s GPS alerted them to keep right.

By the time morning had turned to afternoon, the windows were rolled all the way down. Even though the music on the radio was nearly inaudible over the wind off the highway, Courtney could still hear Willam’s laughter – the kind that made her eyes crease, the kind that Courtney wanted to bottle up and save for later.  

It wasn’t quite riding off into the sunset. No, Courtney realized, it was something better than that.

It was Willam's hand clutched in hers, firm and sure, the open road stretched ahead of them. It was the promise of another day together, and another after that. It wasn’t how Courtney had always pictured her happy ending – but then, this wasn't really an ending at all.

It was only the beginning.

 


End file.
